Counties Galway, Mayo, Clare and Donegal will be under a Status Orange wind warning from 12pm tomorrow until 9pm. Effects will include coastal flooding, large coastal waves, loose objects and fallen trees.
Galway City Council has taken a number of precautions, including flood barriers along the Spanish Arch and the closure of the Silverstrand, Salthill and Toft car parks.
Strong winds in Galway, Mayo, Clare and Donegal will lead to very difficult travelling conditions, dangerous conditions at sea, and damage to power lines and already weakened structures.
A nationwide Status Yellow wind warning has also been issued and will be valid from midnight on Sunday until 3am on Monday. Possible effects will include coastal flooding, large coastal waves, difficult travelling conditions, debris and loose objects being displaced.
A Status Yellow rain warning has also been issued for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry and Waterford. The alert is valid from midnight on Sunday until 9am.
Irish weather warning colours explained
Met Éireann meteorologist Liz Walsh said: “Storm Ashley will bring strong southerly winds overnight on Saturday night and early Sunday with a second wave of even stronger south-westerly winds, accompanied by damaging gusts across the country, from mid-morning on Sunday, right through the afternoon and into the evening in some parts.”
Ahead of the storm, today is set to be dry and bright for much of the day, with sunny spells and just a few showers.
Cloud will then build from the south of the country through the evening, bringing rain to the south-west in the night-time.
It will then turn windy and wet tonight and into tomorrow morning as the rain is set to extend nationwide overnight.
Top temperatures will range from 12 to 15C on Saturday and between 13 and 16C on Sunday.
On Sunday, with all weather warnings in place, heavy overnight rain might clear to the northeast in the morning while more persistent rain will later come to the west and south with thunderstorms.
Met Éireann said the peak winds will happen very early in the morning, then again in the afternoon and evening.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has urged road users to take “extreme care”. If the road is flooded, drivers are advised to take alternate routes.
Drivers have also been urged to slow down and allow greater breaking distance to the vehicle in front. This is especially important on high-speed roads such as motorways where there is a greater danger of aquaplaning.
The RSA has advised pedestrians to walk on the right-hand side of the road facing traffic where there are no footpaths, while cyclists should use front and rear lights and wear high visibility clothing.
After the blustery weekend, early next week looks rather dry with a few scattered showers while the high tides will keep the ongoing risk of coastal flooding.
Monday will be a quieter and drier day with sunny spells and scatted showers, which will be present mostly across Atlantic counties.
Temperatures are set to range between 12 and 15C. Although the winds and rain will not be as heavy as the day before for most, they might still be strong along Atlantic coasts.
Meanwhile, the rain will increase across the western and southern coasts on Monday night, with some thunderstorms possible and overnight temperatures of 7 and 10C.
