WHILE THE WEATHER is pretty glorious today, it won’t stay the same for long.
Heavy rain, thunderstorms and potentially even flash floods are due in the coming days, prompting the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to issue a warning to drivers.
The authority is reminding motorists that to keep extra distance from any cars in front due to increased stopping distances in wet conditions.
This will also help avoid your visibility being reduced by the considerable amount of spray produced by large vehicles.
Aquaplaning, where tyre treads fill with water leading to a loss of traction, is also a possibility at high speeds over 100 km/h.
Always drive with dipped headlights, and be wary of pedestrians, who should be wearing bright reflective clothing.
The RSA has this advice for any motorists driving in flooded conditions:
- If the road ahead is flooded choose another route, do not attempt to drive through it. Flooded roads that appear shallow could be deeper than you think.
- After going through water, drive slowly with your foot on the brake pedal for a short distance – this helps to dry the brakes.
- Sometimes roads can be closed due to their fragile state after wet weather or because they are blocked by flooding.
- Road users should always follow recommended routes and obey signs closing roads to traffic.
- Watch out for washed out roads, earth slides, broken water or sewer mains, loose or downed electrical wires, and fallen or falling objects.
Met Éireann has issued a status yellow weather warning for the coming days, with hot and very humid conditions, heavy rain, hailstorms, lightning, and even flooding in some areas.
It is expected to improve by Sunday, with temperatures in the high-teens or low-20s with some sunny spells, but expect some scattered showers in parts of the country.
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