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A weather warning is in place across the island of Ireland for the next two days as Storm Gerrit brings heavy rain and strong winds.
A Status Yellow alert will go into effect for all counties covered by Met Alien tonight at 8 p.m.
Counties Kerry and West Cork have been turned orange with “very heavy rain” expected overnight and “very heavy rain tomorrow”.
The warning will remain in place until late Wednesday. Disruption to travel is expected, with Ryanair warning that strong winds could cause delays.
Met Eireann warns that tonight’s heavy rain could cause localized flooding, and strong southerly winds and spring tides could combine to cause coastal flooding.
Temperatures are expected to drop between 1 and 4 degrees overnight, before quickly rising to 10 degrees by dawn Wednesday.
Showers and strong winds are expected to continue into Wednesday.
An additional orange wind warning has been issued for Galway, which will come into force at 6pm on Wednesday and remain in place until 6am on Thursday morning.
Strong winds and spring tides are likely to cause coastal flooding, Met Eireann said.
A yellow wind warning will also remain in place for Clare, Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo until 4pm on Thursday.
The forecast says: “Southwesterly winds turning west will be strong and gusty at times.”
“The combination of spring tides, large waves and strong winds can cause coastal flooding.”
Storm Gerrit formed in the Atlantic Ocean at 3pm this afternoon. Eumesat
Eumesat
The warning has been extended to Northern Ireland from 10am tomorrow, with the Met Office warning that the storm could cause disruption.
Cork County Council said in a statement that it had convened a severe weather assessment team this afternoon.
Officials were sent to “inspect and clean coves and ravines” and sandbags and pump stations were installed in areas prone to flooding.
The city council is advising motorists to use extreme caution.
The Connacht Tribune reported that some public car parks in Galway were closed.
The warning was issued on Wednesday.
The Road Safety Agency (RSA) has advised road users to use caution when using roads today and tomorrow ahead of the warning.
Motorists are being told to slow down and maintain appropriate braking distances, especially behind heavy vehicles and on highways.
Drivers should also be aware of fallen or falling debris, crosswinds, heavy rain, and use low headlights at all times.
Other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists are reminded to use the right side of the road, wear high-visibility jackets and lights where possible, and use caution when crossing roads in bad weather. It has been.
Contains reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill
