Met Éireann issues status yellow rain warning for Cork and 10 other counties#Met #Éireann #issues #status #yellow #rain #warning #Cork #counties

Potential impacts include localised flooding and travel disruption, Met Éireann said. 

The warning states: “Spells of rain will be heavy and persistent at times, giving accumulative totals of 30 to 60mm, locally higher on hills.

“The rain will ease off for a time in many parts on Tuesday daytime, before heavy spells of rain return Tuesday evening and night.”

Two yellow wind warnings has also been issued for West Galway and Kerry. The first will come into effect from midnight on Tuesday until 6am. The second for the same areas will then start at 5pm on Tuesday and stay in place until 3am on Wednesday. 

Potential impacts include chance of falling branches and trees as well as loose debris blowing around and difficult driving conditions as Met Éireann say “south to southwest winds will be very strong and gusty.” 

Meanwhile, a yellow wind warning for Cork, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow will come into effect at midnight on Wednesday and stay in place until 7 am that day. 

A second then for Donegal and Mayo will come into place at 6am on Wednesday and remain until 6pm that day. 

Meanwhile, Met Éireann has said that it is too early to say if the remnants of Tropical Storm Nigel will hit Ireland as it lurks in the Atlantic. 

The storm is expected to strengthen over the next few days, growing strong enough to reach hurricane status by midweek. 

A category one hurricane status is achieved when the maximum wind speed of the storm is between 74-95mph. But, according to figures from the US National Hurricane Centre, Storm Nigel has reached maximum sustained winds of 70mph so far. 

According to Met Éireann meteorologist Brandon Creagh, only the remnants of the storm are likely to hit Ireland. 

“At the moment, it looks like it’s going to be a wet and windy weekend, but it [the storm] is about six days out, especially with systems that are kind of intense and volatile, they can change their track between now and then,” he told the Irish Examiner. 

He said it was not guaranteed that the storm would hit Ireland.

“It could shift its track and head away from us, and I would not even say that it would hit us, its just the remnants of the system would bring up wet and windy weather.

“The centre of the system will likely veer north of us.”

Meanwhile, Monday is set to stay dry, with well scattered showers and sunny spells. 

“More frequent showers from the west through the morning and afternoon, with some turning heavy,” Met Éireann said. 

Scattered showers and clear spells are expected on Monday night, with cloud thickening across the country early in the night, with rain spreading from the Atlantic. 

It is then expected to turn heavy at times “over the western half of the country. Becoming windy overnight with fresh to strong and gusty southwesterly winds developing as the rain spreads.”

Tuesday should then start off windy and damp, with fresh to strong and gusty winds. Some outbreaks of rain and drizzle are set to continue through the day, with heavy falls expected in the west and north. 

It should stay wet and windy, with some more persistent heavy rain coming in from the west. 

The rain should then clear on Wednesday morning with some sunny spells and frequent showers — some of which will turn heavy.

“Showers should then become more confined to Atlantic coastal counties overnight, with largely dry weather and clear spells developing elsewhere,” the national forecaster said. 

Met Éireann said some mist and fog patches were also expected. 

Thursday then should see a mix of sunny spells and widespread showers — some of which will turn heavy. Friday should also see a good deal of dry weather, with some scattered showers.