Weather warning: Gales and flooding to hit as storm front moves in

THE south of the country is set to be lashed by severe storms today and tomorrow as the country experiences the worst bout of bad weather so far this year.

According to Met Eireann, gusts of up to 80 miles per hour will hit parts of the south and east from today, and winds will reach an average speed of up to 55 miles per hour across most of the country.

More than 50mm of rainfall is expected and some parts of Munster and south Leinster could be hit by up to 80mm of rain.

Coastal flooding is also likely due to high seas and high tides, while the Met Office also warned of hazards such as falling trees and severe inland flooding as rivers burst their banks and saturate ground already wet from extensive rainfall.

The expected weather conditions prompted the National Safety Council to warn motorists to avoid taking to the roads unless absolutely necessary.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists were also urged to steer clear of the roads if at all possible and to drive with extreme caution and "expect the unexpected" if they do venture out.

The bad weather is the result of a very deep depression moving towards Ireland from the Bay of Biscay.

"It's probably going to be the windiest weather we will have had so far this year," said Vincent O'Shea of Met Eireann. "The severe weather warning is relevant to the whole of the country but if we do see flooding and structural damage such as falling trees, it is likely that it will be counties Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary and parts of Kilkenny.

"Rivers could certainly break their banks and the ground is already saturated from all the rain we have had recently," he added.

Eamonn Walsh, senior engineer in Cork City Council's drainage department, urged shopkeepers and householders in parts of the city prone to flooding to take precautions.

"We will have relatively high tides on Wednesday so there is certainly the possibility of flooding," he said.

"We would advise people to remove perishable goods from the ground and where possible to put in sandbags."

Waterford is also on flood alert thanks to the combination of storm force winds, spring tides and the area of low pressure.

Irish Water Safety chief executive John Leech also warned motorists especially to take extra precautions.

"We have had awful tragedies this year to do with floods, so we would urge people to be careful.

"The Waterford Harbour itself, Dungarvan and Youghal will all be exposed to southerly wind. That will have the effect of holding and pushing water up into the estuary and people should take action they feel is required," he said.