LAST UPDATE | 16 Oct 2023

A STATUS ORANGE rain warning has been issued for Cork, Waterford and Kerry tomorrow, with separate Yellow warnings also in place for parts of the country ahead of the arrival of Storm Babet. 

Met Éireann said the spells of heavy rain could possibly lead to localised flooding and difficult driving conditions due to poor visibility, with possible wave overtopping at high tide. 

The Orange warning will be in place from 6am tomorrow morning until 6am on Wednesday, while a Status Yellow rain warning will also be in effect in Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Wexford.

Cork County Council has said its severe weather assessment team convened this evening and has crews on standby in several known risk locations across the county. 

Crews are currently clearing inlets and gullies. Standbags and pumping arrangements will be in place in known problem locations. Flood barriers will be raised in Mallow and Fermoy this evening. 

The council is asking members of the public to exercise extreme caution as driving conditions “may be hazardous, with surface flash flooding possible”. 

Motorists are also asked to be conscious of cyclists and pedestrians. 

⚠️Orange Rainfall Warning⚠️

Affected Regions: Cork & Waterford

⏲️Onset from 06:00 Tue 17th Oct until 06:00 Wed 18th Oct

Impacts:
Localised Flooding
Poor visibility
Difficult driving conditions
Possible Wave over topping at high tide

Keep informed ⬇️https://t.co/y935BNm4NJ pic.twitter.com/o6yV9X0rhZ

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 16, 2023

A separate Yellow rain warning has also been issued for Connacht from midday tomorrow until midday on Wednesday.

RSA advice

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is asking road users to exercise caution while using the roads tomorrow and on Wednesday. 

It said that high winds could possibly cause wave overtopping at high tide, which should be kept in mind.

The RSA further called on drivers to check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out on a journey, and to slow down and allow a greater braking distance between themselves and the vehicle in front in wet conditions. This is of particular importance on high speed roads such as dual carriageways and motorways where there is an increased risk of aquaplaning. 

It also advised pedestrians to make sure they are wearing high visibility clothing and to walk on the right-hand side of the road, facing traffic if there are no footpaths, and said cyclists should ensure that they too are visible on the road. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiSu7fbq9ks&t=1s

The UK Met Office has said that Storm Babet – the second named storm of the season – will bring heavy rain from midweek.

A Yellow rain warning has been issued for Antrim, Armagh, Down from 6am on Wednesday until midday on Thursday. 

This morning, showers will be isolated, as it remains mostly dry and cloudy.

#StormBabet has been named by @metoffice and is forecast to bring impactful heavy rain to the UK from Wednesday this week

Strong winds will accompany the storm

Stay #WeatherAware pic.twitter.com/YJYB3haD4L

— Met Office (@metoffice) October 16, 2023

Sunny spells will develop in some areas this afternoon but the south will see cloudy skies with some patchy light rain in the southwest.

Temperatures will reach 10 to 13 degrees Celsius. 

Tonight there will be patchy light rain and drizzle in the southwest but otherwise it will be dry. The northern half of the country will have a clearer evening, but cloud will spread from the south overnight.

Frost is possible, as temperatures could fall to as low as 0 degrees in northern areas.

The south and southeast will not be quite as chilly, with temperatures of between 7 and 12 degrees expected. 

Tuesday will be wet and breezy, as rain will spread across Munster, south Leinster and parts of south Connacht in the morning, before extending across the rest of the country during the afternoon.

The rain will be heavy and thundery at times. Highest temperatures of 9 to 14 degrees are expected in a fresh to strong and gusty east to southeast wind.

Additional reporting from Jane Moore