Two Status Orange wind warnings and several Status Yellow warnings have been issued as Storm Darragh is set to hit Ireland, bringing heavy rain and strong winds.
Very strong and gusty northwest winds are set to hit Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, where a Status Orange wind warning will be in effect from 10pm tomorrow night until 9am on Saturday.
Met Éireann said possible impacts of the storm include fallen trees, damage to power lines and difficult travelling conditions.
A separate Status Orange wind warning has been issued for Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow from midnight tomorrow until 9am on Saturday.
The first of the warnings came into effect in Kerry, where a Status Yellow wind warning was in operation until 6pm.
A separate Status Yellow wind warning was in effect for Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal until 9pm.
Status Orange – Wind warning for Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal
Storm Darragh: Very strong and gusty northwest winds.
Impacts:
Fallen trees
Damage to power lines
Very difficult travelling conditionsValid: 22:00 06/12 to 09:00 Saturday 07/12 pic.twitter.com/SYvNWr7v1B
— Met Eireann (@MetEireann) https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/1864610743770902761
Met Éireann Meteorologist, Siobhán Ryan has said that there will be a risk of localized river flooding from Storm Darragh.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime programme, Ms Ryan said that the “main feature” of the Storm will be the winds, with peak winds occurring tomorrow night.
“Taking off tomorrow from around 10am we have a new batch of warnings, including wind and rain,” she said.
“It starts out with a yellow status rainfall warning for much of the northern half of the country; Connaught, Ulster and the north of Leinster – that’s 10am tomorrow until 10 on Saturday.”
She said that after this, a Status Yellow wind warning will come into effect for the entirety of the country.
Ms Ryan added that later in the day and overnight, winds will veer to a northwest direction, leading to a “blast” of the strongest of the winds, at which point the orange wind warning will come into operation.
“That’s for the same counties that we actually have the yellow status wind warning for this evening, from the southwest of the country all the way up to the northwest,” she said.
She said that the winds will be “peaking” tomorrow night, continuing through a lot of Saturday as well.
“The winds will slowly abate through Saturday, the orange lifts at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning, so really it’s an overnight wind event, but winds will be very noticeable into Saturday as well.”
⚠️Status Orange – Wind warning for Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow⚠️
Storm Darragh: Very strong and gusty northwest winds.
Valid: 00:00 Saturday 07/12/2024 to 09:00 Saturday 07/12/2024
More here https://t.co/z40PFYenWU pic.twitter.com/jsWC2Vqe5z
— Met Eireann (@MetEireann) https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/1864612243519799584
Separately, a Status Yellow wind warning will be in effect for the entire country from 3pm tomorrow until 3pm on Saturday, with strong and gusty south to southwest winds veering northwest tomorrow night.
The Road Safety Authority has advised motorists to slow down and allow a greater breaking distance between themselves and the vehicle in front in wet weather conditions.
-It has also said that people should choose another route if the road ahead is flooded and be aware that strong cross winds could affect the control of a vehicle.
Pedestrians and cyclists are being reminded to wear high visibility clothing in poor weather conditions and take extra care when crossing the road.
Keith Leonard, National Director of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) said that most of the country will be impacted by strong winds and everyone should take extra care.
“In particular, this storm may bring dangerous travelling conditions. Strong winds can make driving conditions hazardous, especially for more vulnerable road users such as cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists and high-sided vehicles, and road users should pay particular attention to the risk posed by fallen trees and flying debris.”
He also urged the public to stay away from coastal areas during this period and to heed the appeal from the Irish Coast Guard for people to ‘Stay Back, Stay High, Stay Dry’.
A Status Yellow wind warning has been issued for Northern Ireland from until 3am tomorrow; with another yellow wind warning from 3pm tomorrow until 6am on Saturday.
There is also Status Yellow rain warning from 3pm tomorrow until midday on Saturday.
An Amber wind warning has been issued for Northern Ireland from 3am until 9pm on Saturday, with potentially damaging winds forecast.
A Yellow wind warning will also be in effect from 3pm tomorrow until 6am on Sunday.
Concern for rough sleepers
Concern has been raised over asylum seekers sleeping in tents in Dublin city centre as Storm Darragh brings strong winds and heavy rains.
Dozens of tents were erected on an open square beside the Department of Agriculture on Kildare Street yesterday, less than 100 metres from an entrance to the grounds of the Dáil.
The Irish Refugee Council said some of these people had been accommodated indoors in the CityWest accommodation centre in recent days but have since been forced to sleep rough.
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire of Sinn Féin said people were “outraged and upset” to see the international protection applicants living in those conditions.
“People in tents on the streets of our capital city is no good for anyone,” he said.
“It is certainly no good for international protection applicants, and their dignity and welfare, nor is it good for communities in our cities.
“We are going to be facing into nights of desperate cold and heavy rain. No-one should be forced to face the elements relying on tents, pitched on the streets.”
Snow expected on higher ground in storm aftermath
On Saturday, as storm Darragh clears eastwards towards the UK and continental Europe, Ireland will lie in a cold and strong north to northwest airflow.
This will feed in showers from the north, of rain, sleet and hail, with some snow showers likely over higher ground.
The showers will be most widespread across the north and west but will make their way across the country in fresh to strong and gusty northwest winds.
Read more: Storm names announced for 24/25 storm season
The last named storm to hit Ireland was Bert, which left thousands of homes without power and many counties hit by severe flooding.
Storm Conall, which followed Bert, missed Ireland but brought heavy rain and winds to parts of the UK, before moving on to The Netherlands late last month.
Additional reporting PA
