Yellow rain and wind warnings have been issued for the coming days ahead of the expected arrival of Storm Amy on Friday.
A rain warning is in place in 14 counties from 6am until 8pm on Thursday. The warning applies to all of Connacht and Munster, as well as Cavan, Donegal and Longford.
Met Éireann said there may be localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions.
A separate yellow wind warning is in place for the entire country from noon on Friday until midnight.
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Storm Amy, the first named storm of the season, is set to bring “strong to near gale force and gusty southwesterly winds”, according to the forecaster.
Ailís Hankinson, forecaster with Met Éireann, said Storm Amy was named by the UK Met Office on Wednesday morning. “The situation as it is now is that Hurricane Humberto is out there in the west Atlantic, near Bermuda, and it will decay today,” she said.
“It’s the remnants of that which are fueling and propelling a new system that will then develop into a low, that will affect us on Friday. That will become Storm Amy. It is the first storm of the season.”
Met Éireann predicts the weather will be unsettled for much of this week across Ireland.
Wednesday will be cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle, most persistent in the west and north.
There will be longer dry spells in the east and south with occasional bright breaks. Highest temperatures will be 15 to 19 degrees in moderate to fresh southerly winds.
Met Éireann said it will become wet and blustery on Thursday with rain spreading from the southwest, along with fresh and gusty southerly winds. The rain will turn heavy at times later with highest temperatures of 15 or 16 degrees.
Rain will clear to the east early in the night, followed by well scattered showers and a few clear spells. Cloud will thicken in the west and south later with patchy rain developing near southwest coasts by morning. Lowest temperatures will be between 9 to 12 degrees in moderate to fresh southwesterly winds.
Friday is due to be a wet and very windy day with heavy rain quickly spreading northeastward across the country through the morning.
Strong to near-gale force and gusty southwesterly winds will develop as the rain spreads, with gales or strong gales possible on western and northwestern coasts. Rain will clear eastward to showers in the evening with highest temperatures of 15 to 19 degrees.
It will remain windy overnight with heavy showers or longer spells of rain.
The forecaster said it will be windy or blustery on Saturday with strong and gusty westerly winds. However, it will be a brighter day with sunny spells and showers. Highest temperatures will be between 12 to 15 degrees.
It will be generally cloudy on Sunday with scattered light showers. West to southwest winds will ease moderate to fresh with highest temperatures of 12 to 16 degrees.
Met Éireann said current indications suggest it will remain unsettled next week with further spells of rain.
