Storm Callum could be on the way after balmy mid week weather

Met Éireann may issue weather warnings later but says storm, if it arrives, will be shortlived

Heavy rain and gale-force winds are forecast for Thursday night into Friday morning across the country. File photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times

Stormy weather and high seas could be on the way as a storm crosses the Atlantic.

Heavy rain and gale-force winds are forecast for Thursday night into Friday morning across the country.

The west and north-west coasts will bear the brunt of the bad weather which if it makes landfall in Ireland would be called Storm Callum, according to the storm naming system for this year.

Met Éireann forecaster Matthew Martin said it may issue weather alerts closer to the time, but at present the track of the storm is uncertain.

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It is likely to hit Newfoundland on Tuesday or Wednesday and then cross the Atlantic.

He said at the very least it will be wet and windy on Thursday night into Friday morning, but wind speeds could be very high if the storm makes landfall in Ireland.

However, he also said the stormy weather, if it arrives, will be shortlived and will pass to the north of the country leaving unsettled weather in its wake.

In the meantime, the forecast for the next few days is for a shortlived Indian summer with temperatures reaching a balmy 20 degrees by Wednesday.

Tuesday will be a mild day with temperatures of 15 to 18 degrees except in north Connacht and west Ulster where rain will pass northwards in the afternoon.

Wednesday will see the best of the sunshine before Thursday brings a drop in temperature and winds getting progressively stronger.

Spring tides

Galway City Council’s weather assessment team met on Monday to review the weather forecast as, it said, we are approaching a period of very high astronomical spring tides commencing on Monday 8th October until Thursday 11th October.

“The team assessed the information available from the OPW tide and storm surge forecasting site along with weather conditions available from the Met Éireann website. At this stage, it is anticipated that there will be no overtopping in the city centre or in Salthill and that no action is necessary today or tomorrow,” it said in a statement on Monday.

Galway City Council’s weather assessment team will continue to monitor the situation.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times