There will be no repeat of the Easter Bank Holiday sunshine this weekend as Storm Hannah approaches Ireland.
Met Éireann has issued orange and yellow wind warnings, along with small craft warnings for the Irish Sea.
The worst of the weather is expected in Counties Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick on Friday night where winds are expected to gust up to 130km/hr and households and businesses have been told to prepare for fallen cables and power outages.
Storm Hanna which is currently heading our way from Newfoundland is expected to “deepen” – or worsen – as it crosses the Atlantic before making landfall in the Shannon Estuary on Friday night and tracking across the country to Wexford. A status Orange wind alert has been issued for the south and west from 4pm on Friday to 5am on Saturday.
Met Éireann forecaster Matthew Martin said a settled period of warm weather had been expected to continue until the arrival of Storm Hannah. He said the worst “potential for damage” is to the south and west as Hannah moves eastwards overnight from Friday to Saturday.
Separately, a status yellow wind warning has been issued for severe winds from Connacht across the midlands and from Donegal to Waterford, beginning at 11pm on Friday and lasting until until 9am on Saturday. The yellow warning applies to Counties Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Wexford, Wicklow, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary and Waterford.
A marine warning for the Irish Sea from Belfast Lough to Howth Head to Carnsore Point has also been issued with southerly winds reaching force six at times late on Thursday night.
While there is some respite predicted for Saturday it will feel cold with some scattered showers, and temperatures between 9 and 12 degrees.
But on Sunday the rain is back with “patchy” showers and drizzle in many areas and cloud cover giving highest temperatures of about 16 degrees.
On Monday, a new band of rain will move eastwards across the country, clearing later with scattered showers following. Highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees with moderate southerly winds.
Mr Martin said current indications are that that rain will will continue until at least Tuesday, but there was some possibility of more stable, drier conditions returning in the middle of next week.
