Strong winds, high tides and a worsening weather outlook have prompted local authorities in some regions to take flood precautions.
Met Éireann says a deep low pressure centre is expected to move down across Ireland during Sunday night, clearing away slowly during Monday. “This weather system has the potential to bring some severe weather to Ireland,” it says.
Rainfall totals are likely to reach 25mm-30mm in places during tomorrow and Monday.
Met Éireann says while this is not excessive, it may lead to some localised flooding on roads.
The strongest winds associated with this weather system are likely to be well to the west. However, if the track of the low pressure is further east than currently expected, then very strong winds may possibly affect the west coast.
The office says the principal dangers would be due to very high seas off the southwest and west coasts, with waves of up to nine metres, as well as coastal flooding due to a combination of high tides, very low pressure, storm surge and onshore winds.
“The danger period extends through Sunday night and, for the east coast, much of Monday also.”
The Defence Forces said this morning it has put troops and equipment on standby nationwide.
In a statement, it said personnel, vehicles, aircraft, boats and specialist equipment were prepared to deploy for any flood relief operations.
The gardaí said they were co-operating with local authorities and appealed to road users to pay attention to the weather conditions on Sunday night and Monday morning. Garda traffic plans will be put put in place in the Dublin areas identified by the local authorities as being at high risk.
Vincent O’Shea of Met Éireann said yesterday: “We are in for a very inclement spell of weather beginning on Sunday evening.” He said the weather front was not related to Hurricane Tomas, which had yet to make landfall in Haiti.
Dublin and Galway city councils have put in place flood-prevention measures in some areas and insurers have urged householders to take steps to protect their property from flood damage.
Dublin City Council has deployed temporary flood defences in potential at-risk areas. Car parks on the seafront at Clontarf and Sandymount will be closed from tomorrow until Monday evening. Local road closures may also be required.
Galway City Council today said the combination of spring tides, high winds and low pressure would see a threat of localised flooding, with the worst weather is forecast to coincide with high tide on Sunday at 17.31pm.
As well as locations in the Spanish Arch, Docks and Raven Terrace areas, flooding may occur along the Promenade in Salthill.
In a statement, the council said it may be necessary to close the Promenade to traffic from Dr Colohan Road (at Seapoint) to Grattan Road (at South Park) tomorrow afternoon and evening for a number of hours around high tide. The council advised motorists not to park in the car park at Toft Park on the Promenade as it is also liable to flood.
More details are available on news bulletins on Galway Bay FM, or at www.galwaycity.ie and www.flooding.ie. Crews will be on call over the weekend to address any problems.
Other areas likely to be prone to flooding this weekend include coastal areas of Cork and Waterford, Met Éireann said.
An estimated €1 billion worth of damage was caused by flooding in parts of the country in November 2009 and early this year. Businesses and homes in Cork, Galway, Clare and Tipperary were devastated by heavy rains.
Fine Gael said yesterday it would be “prudent” to use the Defence Forces and other State bodies and agencies to ensure measures such as sandbagging were put in place.
The Labour Party noted that a Government review of the flooding events of last November had still not been published.
Michael Horan of the Irish Insurance Federation advised householders to take “practical and sensible steps to prevent damage to their property without risking injury to themselves”.
It emerged last week that a report on the possibility of introducing a national flood warning system will not be completed until early next year.
Elsewhere this weekend, the Winter Duathlon takes place in Phoenix Park, Dublin, tomorrow between 10am and 12.30pm.
The 55th Cork Film Festival gets under way tomorrow and runs until November 14th. The opening film, at Cork Opera House at 8.30pm, is Mark Romanek's adaptation of Kazuo ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go, starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightly and Andrew Garfield.
