Early indications are that St. Patrick’s Day will be a bright day with lots of dry weather and sunshine in temperatures rising to about 12 degrees, according to Met Éireann.
Before then however conditions are not so benign. Met Éireann has issued status yellow wind, rain and marine warnings for localised danger on land and sea over the weekend.
The national forecaster issued a status yellow weather warning for heavy rain on Saturday afternoon in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary and Waterford
Status yellow is the second of Met Éireann’s three-level warning system and warns of “not unusual weather” but conditions which could present localised danger, such as flooding.
The rainfall for the seven counties is expected to continue into Sunday.
Met Éireann has also issued a status yellow warning for strong southeast winds with severe gusts of up to 110km/hr expected, with the worst of the winds in coastal areas.
The wind warning is for Cork, Waterford, Dublin, Louth, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow. Both wind and rain warnings remain in place until 9am on Sunday.
In Northern Ireland the UK Met Office has issued a similar yellow warning for high wind in counties Antrim and Down. This warning is valid from 3am to 2pm on Sunday.
Strong gale force
Met Éireann has also issued a further status yellow warning for marine activity on all coasts of Ireland and on the Irish Sea.
The forecaster said southeast to east or cyclonic winds will reach gale force 8 or strong gale force 9 at times on Irish coastal waters from Hook Head to Roche’s Point to Valentia during Saturday , extending to all Irish coastal waters and the Irish Sea during Saturday afternoon and evening and persisting into Sunday.
In its more general forecast, Met Éireann said Saturday night would be wet and windy across the whole island . Heavy bursts of rain would be expected in some places with a continued possibility of localised flooding. Strong east or southeast winds continuing with some severe gusts along southern and eastern coasts. Lowest temperatures of four to seven degrees.
It is expected to be very windy on Sunday morning in the northeast and southwest. A blustery day overall for Sunday with widespread showers, some heavy and prolonged. The best of any bright or sunny spells are expected across the south and east of the country. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in strong and gusty southwest winds, moderating through the afternoon and evening.
Sunday night will see fresh and rather breezy conditions with clear spells and showers. More persistent rain will move in across northern counties for a time, possibly falling as snow on high ground. Lowest temperatures of zero to 4 degrees, coldest in southern counties where winds will fall light towards dawn.
The outlook for coming days is for changeable weather but beginning to turn more settled.
Met Éireann said St Patrick’s Day is still far out, but it looks as if the current wet and windy spell will clear away on Wednesday as brighter weather moves in from the west in time for St Patrick’s Day.
