Met Eireann is putting the country on alert for stormy weather this Halloween weekend.
A new weather warning has been issued for Saturday as high winds and stormy conditions are set to strike.
A status yellow rainfall warning is currently in place for Donegal and western counties today (Thursday) until 6am Friday morning due to a risk of heavy rain and flooding.
After that, a status yellow wind warning will take effect across the entire country on Saturday. Forecasters are warning of strong to gale force southerly winds will veer westerly and some severe gusts are possible. The alert is valid from 1am Saturday morning until 3pm Saturday afternoon.
Donegal County Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team have confirmed they are monitoring the situation and will provide public updates if conditions deteriorate further.
A further advisory warns people to expect wicked weather throughout this weekend and on Monday:
Met Eireann forecasts: “Very unsettled weather will occur over the Halloween weekend as a series of vigorous Atlantic weather systems pass close to Ireland.
“Spells of heavy rain will lead to surface and river flooding. Very windy/stormy at times with some severe and damaging gusts possible. Some coastal flooding possible also due to the combination of low pressure, high tides and onshore winds. Very high seas.
“Please consult your county warnings from Met Éireann on a day by day basis https://www.met.ie/warnings/today”
Donegal County Council is calling on the public to take necessary precautions to stay safe:
Spells of heavy rain, coupled with the fact that the ground is already saturated, will mean that some localised surface and river flooding is likely. As flood water may overwhelm drains and gullies, property owners / occupiers are asked to check these for potential blockages.
High winds are expected throughout Friday night and into Saturday afternoon so again property owners / occupiers are asked to ensure that all garden furniture and outdoor play items such as goal posts, trampolines etc. are stowed away securely so as to prevent them being blown away and becoming a hazard to road users and members of the public.
Motorists are being asked to take extra care while driving during the heavy rainfall and to be mindful of the potential risk of spot flooding along the road network.
Beach goers and walkers along exposed coasts should be aware that there will be instances of extremely high wave activity during this period and are asked to remain vigilant and to heed the Irish Coast Guard’s advice to ‘stay back, stay high and stay dry’.
Donegal County Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team are continuing to monitor the situation and will provide additional updates if conditions deteriorate further.
Donegal County Council can be contacted during normal business hours on 074 91 53900 or, in the event of an out-of-hours emergency, the Council’s Road Service can be contacted on 074 91 72288. For emergencies requiring the assistance of the Fire Service please call 999 or 112.
You can keep up to date on conditions by signing up for free alerts to your phone by registering at www.mapalerter.com/donegal or by following Donegal County Council on Facebook or on Twitter @DonegalCouncil.
