A Status Orange rain warning for three counties bringing “very heavy and persistent rain” with the risk of coastal flooding is now underway.
Kerry and Cork have been under the warning since midnight, while Waterford’s warning starts from midday today.
All three counties could see river and coastal flooding, dangerous travelling conditions and travel disruption until the warning expires at midnight.
Meanwhile, a further four counties in Munster and Connacht are under a Status Yellow warning since midnight last night, which will last 24 hours.
These are Clare, Limerick, Galway and Mayo, where localised flooding and difficult travel conditions are possible.
The warnings are as a result of a band of rain trailing over the country since last night, with the heaviest and most persistent rain forecast over the southwest and west of the country, particularly over counties Kerry and Cork.
Irish weather warning colours explained
“Accumulations of 30-50 mm over 24h are likely in the counties under yellow warning, however rainfall amounts may be higher on windward slopes of the mountains in west Galway and west Mayo.
“Parts of Cork, Kerry and Waterford will see totals of 50-70 mm over a 24h period, but similarly, higher accumulations can be expected in mountainous regions of west Kerry and west Cork,” the national forecaster has said.
Smaller rivers, especially those prone to flash flooding in urban and upland areas, may rise quickly on Saturday and into Sunday, they warned.
Rivers in the south and west, particularly in the mountainous areas of Kerry, West Cork and Limerick, as well as Galway and Mayo could be affected.
Given the volume of rainfall forecast throughout this weekend, levels will potentially rise in the headwaters of larger rivers including the Lee, Munster Blackwater and Bandon.
“It’s important to note that rivers are likely to continue to respond and rise over the weekend and into next week with further rain expected,” they added.
As well as this, “strong onshore winds may lead to wave overtopping in exposed coastal areas” throughout the day.
People in these seven counties are being asked to keep their phones charged in the event of an emergency, while ESB Networks has highlighted the dangers posed by fallen live wires and is advising the public and the emergency services to stay away from fallen cables and to report such cases immediately.
Met Éireann said the heavy and persistent rain will continue across the southwest and west this morning with some thundery falls leading to flooding.
The rain will gradually spread further east later this afternoon with particularly heavy falls also expected across south Leinster. Elsewhere it will be overcast with patchy rain with fresh and blustery southerly winds throughout. Highest temperatures today of 14 to 17 degrees.
Tonight will be cloudy with widespread rain, which will be heavy at times in the south. The rain will gradually become patchy later tonight, with lows of 8 to 12 degrees.
Following the expiration of the warnings, tomorrow will see sunny spells and a little scattered cloud generally, but a few isolated showers.
Highs of 14 to 17 degrees, dropping to one of the coldest nights in a while, at 5 to 10 degrees.
Monday will be very unsettled overall with showers becoming widespread and heavy at times from early on. The showers will continue right through the afternoon and evening with blustery winds too. Highest temperatures will be of 13 to 17 degrees.
It will be cloudy with scattered showers that night, which will be persistent and possibly heavy at times across the south of the country.
Lowest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees.
On Tuesday, there will be showers across most of the country again, turning heavy at times in the north.
It will be a very cloudy day overall with winds blustery at times too. The showers will die out later in the evening, but a few will linger across the north and it will remain cloudy with top temperatures of 14 to 17 degrees.
“Staying rather unsettled with scattered showers from early on. A band of rain will push down from the northwest during the afternoon and will be heavy at times too,” Met Éireann has said for Wednesday, with top temperatures of 15 degrees.
