Orange wind warning issued for six western counties as Storm Franklin set to bring high winds, localised flooding and sleet

The warning comes into effect for Co Clare from noon until midnight tonight.

Counties Galway and Mayo have been included with an orange wind warning from 3pm until 3am tomorrow morning, while counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo will be under an orange alert from 11pm until 7am tomorrow morning.

A status yellow rain warning for counties Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo remains in place until 6pm this evening.

Met Éireann said “persistent rain followed by heavy showers will lead to localised flooding in places”.

Meanwhile, a status yellow wind warning has been issued for the entire country until 9am tomorrow morning, Monday.

Storm Franklin brings to three the number of storm warnings issued for Ireland within the last week. Met Éireann meteorologist Deirdre Lowe said this is “unusual” but it is not uncommon for unsettled weather to linger with a low-pressure centre at this time of year.

“On the jet stream you can get periods of very strong winds or stormy conditions coming in one after another… It’s not unusual to get periods of windy weather with one low centre and then some respite and then another low centre and a storm is just a very enhanced low-pressure centre.”

Ms Lowe said members of the public should take care over the coming hours as Storm Franklin will bring with it high winds, significant sea swells and the chance of localised flooding. She added that people should watch out for fallen debris and keep an eye on the Met Éireann website for further updates.

“The worst of it is going to be overnight. Storm Franklin is south of Iceland and is going to track towards Scotland. As it does so overnight, you get a very tight gradient wind over Ireland.

“It will get very windy today, especially tonight, particularly near the west and north coasts. Very high seas and in parts phenomenal seas, which is about 15-metre seas, quite close to shores. So, there’s a risk of wave overtopping. Coastal areas will be very dangerous and there’s a possibility of coastal flooding due to this.”

“Also, a lot of trees may be down and because of the recent storms, some structures and tree roots may be weakened. There could be debris and people should take extra care.”

The latest weather warnings come as the ESB is continuing to restore power to electricity customers in parts of the south of the country following Storm Eunice. ESB Networks said it expects to have all users reconnected by lunchtime today.

It is also urging members of the public to keep their phones charged and to report any further outages or hazards as Storm Franklin makes landfall later.

Met Éireann said today will be very windy and wet with strong to near gale force westerly winds and severe gusts, especially along western and northern coasts.

The rain will be heavy at times early on, leading to localised flooding, before clearing south-eastwards to frequent showers through the afternoon. Some of the showers will be heavy with isolated thunderstorms and hail, and a chance of sleet later. After a mild start, it will turn much colder from the northwest after the rain clears with highest afternoon temperatures of 4 to 8 degrees.

It will be very windy tonight with showers continuing most frequently over the northern half of the country but easing elsewhere towards morning. Met Éireann said some showers will be heavy with hail, and some will fall as sleet or snow too, especially on high ground. Lowest temperatures will range from 1 to 4 degrees, but it will turn less cold by morning.

Monday will begin with strong to near gale force and gusty northwest winds, backing south-westerly through the afternoon. There will be a good deal of dry weather overall with sunny spells, however, isolated showers will affect the northern half of the country. It will turn cloudier from the west in the afternoon with patchy light rain and drizzle developing in Atlantic coastal counties in the evening in highest temperatures of 9 to 11 degrees.

Met Éireann said tomorrow night will be mostly cloudy with patchy rain and drizzle spreading from the west. A band of heavier and more persistent rain will spread from the Atlantic towards morning. It will turn windy again overnight as southwest winds increase fresh to strong, in generally mild temperatures from 4 to 8 degrees.

Tuesday will start wet but rain will quickly clear eastwards, followed by sunny spells and scattered showers, with the chance of sleet on high ground in the northwest. It will be breezy with moderate to fresh and gusty westerly winds and highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees.

Tuesday night will see dry and clear spells. Showers will continue in Atlantic coastal counties with lowest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees.

Met Éireann said it will turn cloudy again on Wednesday with scattered showers to start. More persistent rain will spread from the Atlantic through the afternoon and evening. It will be another blustery day with fresh to strong and gusty southwest winds and highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees.

Wednesday night will turn much colder early on as rain clears to the east. Showers will follow falling as sleet in places with the chance of snow on higher ground. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +1 degrees are expected, with frost and icy stretches developing.

Thursday will be a chilly day with sunny spells and scattered showers, some falling as hail and sleet in highest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees.

Met Éireann said the end of the weather for the end of next week will remain “generally unsettled with showers or longer spells of rain and blustery conditions at times”.