A Status Orange wind warning has just been issued for Donegal ahead of the arrival of Storm Aiden.
The alert warns of ‘severe and damaging gusts’ from Saturday morning until 4pm for Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Clare.
Storm Aiden will bring strong southwest to west winds to the west and northwest, reaching speeds of up to 80km/h, with severe and damaging gusts of as much as 130km/h.
A separate status orange wind warning has also been issued for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry and Waterford.
And a status yellow wind warning will also be in place for the rest of the country.
Met Éireann is forecasting very unsettled weather over the weekend, as a series of vigorous Atlantic weather systems pass close to Ireland.
Donegal County Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team are continuing to monitor the situation closely and have issued the following advice:
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.