THE ‘ORANGE ALERT’ storm warning issued for the West yesterday has now been upgraded by Met Éireann to cover the entire country.
Winds gusting up to 130km/h will begin to batter the coast tonight, with the worst of the weather due to hit from around 3am.
The weather service is warning:
“High seas generated by these winds, pressure much lower than normal, and higher than normal tides will combine to put Atlantic coasts under threat of flooding.”
The alert is due to remain in place until 9pm tomorrow, but that could yet be extended. A gale warning’s also in place for coastal waters.
Meanwhile, it’s forecast that accumulations of up to 30mm of rain could fall before this evening.
There could be wintry showers too:
“It will be a very cold night, with clear spells and showers, some of hail and sleet. Some snow showers are possible also, mainly over high ground and there is also a risk of thunder.”
Motorists are being urged to proceed with extra care amid the stormy conditions, to allow for extra braking time, and to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Read: Orange Alert: Wind, snow and “extremely high waves” this weekend as another storm hits >
Read: Battered: Your pictures of how the storm took its toll >
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