A STATUS YELLOW warning for rain has been issued for counties Cork and Kerry.

The alert will be in place from 2am until 8am tomorrow morning.

Met Éireann has warned of heavy rain, as well as strong and gusty east to southeast winds.

Met Éireann has also warned of the potential for localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions.

Meanwhile, it was a cloudy and wet start for most this morning, with widespread rain and drizzle turning heavy at times.

The rain will gradually clear northeastwards through the day but will continue in Ulster and north Leinster into the evening, with highest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees.

Any lingering rain or drizzle in Ulster will mostly clear during the first half of the night, leaving mainly dry and cold conditions with clear spells, with some patches of frost and ice developing.

Cloud will then build from the southwest through the second half of the night with wet and windy conditions following towards morning, with lowest temperatures of -2 to +2 degrees.

Tomorrow will start off cloudy with wet and windy conditions moving northwards over the country.

The rain will be heavy at times and a clearance to dry conditions with sunny spells will follow before showers or further spells of rain push in from the south.

On Tuesday night, there will be scattered showers or more persistent spells of rain, with lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees.

Wednesday is currently due to start with a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers, while further south will be cloudier with more persistent outbreaks of rain, with highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees.

Widespread showers or more persistent spells of rain with limited clear spells will follow on Wednesday night, while Thursday will start with showers and limited bright spells.

And while the detail is uncertain for Friday, current indications are for a breezy day with a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers or more persistent outbreaks of rain spreading northwards across the country.