Heavy rainfall forecast to hit many areas over the weekend

Met Éireann says southerly winds will hit up to 90 km/h

Hurricane Gonzalo moves over the Atlantic Ocean north of Bermuda today. Photograph: ASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
Hurricane Gonzalo moves over the Atlantic Ocean north of Bermuda today. Photograph: ASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team

Many parts of Ireland are due a deluge this weekend with Met Éireann forecasting intense rainfall over the next two days.

The forecaster has issued a yellow weather alert, with intense rainfall of up to 60mm predicted in southern and western counties. It said heavy showers or prolonged spells of rain will bring rainfall totals of 30 to 50 mm over the weekend with a possibility of up to 60 mm in mountainous areas

The counties that are expected to be worst hit are Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork and Kerry.

Met Éireann said southerly winds will gust to speeds of 80km/h to 90 km/h at times today, with gusts of up to 100km/h along western coastal areas this afternoon.

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Temperatures will be about 13 to 15 degrees.

Windy conditions will continue into Monday and Tuesday, with strong gale force winds over land at times.

Wet and windy spells mean potential for local flooding along the west coast, but Dublin will probably be one of the areas getting some sunshine, said meteorologist Joan Blackburn of Met Éireann.

Rain is expected to clear up on the eastern half of the country by Monday, though strong westerly winds will persist.

Possibly very heavy rain will spread eastwards overnight, bringing a much colder Tuesday with strong northwesterly winds and possible gales and highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees.

The Met Éireann warning comes as Hurricane Gonzalo wreaks havoc across the Caribbean.

The potent storm is expected to move north and east across the Atlantic towards Ireland and Britain in the coming days. However, it is expected to drastically lose power as it works its way east.

The eye of Hurricane Gonzalo crossed over part of Bermuda, battering the tiny British territory with fierce wind and heavy and heavy surf.

A white haze covered the island as wind uprooted trees and waves slammed into the shore. Strong winds damaged part of the roof at Bermuda's main hospital and caused water damage in the new intensive care unit, police spokesman Dwayne Caines said.

Hurricane-force winds were expected to batter Bermuda for a total of seven hours, and forecasters said the storm surge could cause significant flooding on the island.

"They're going to get hammered is the bottom line here," said Max Mayfield, a former director of the US national hurricane centre in Miami.

The full extent of damage would not be known until sunrise.