WE’RE STILL (MILDLY) optimistic that the weather may get better for the bank holiday weekend – but things aren’t boding well.
Quite the opposite, in fact: Met Eireann has taken the rare step of issuing an orange alert today to warn of seriously heavy rain throughout the country, while European forecasters have predicted that’s a chance of a tornado in Ireland (yes, really).
Forecasters say that up to 70 mm (7 centimetres) of rain may fall in parts of Munster and Connacht , while Leinster, Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan can expect between 30 and 50 mm over the course of the day. This may lead to flooding in some parts of the country.
Met Éireann’s rainfall radar shows a large clump of rain currently hitting the middle of the country:
And as if that weren’t enough (sorry), European storm forecasters have warned there’s also a risk that tornadoes could hit Ireland today.
The European Storm Forecast Experiment (Estofex) has issued a level 1 warning for the country, predicting severe wind gusts and tornadoes due an ‘intense’ weather pattern.
The Road Safety Authority has advised road users to take extra care today. “The changeable weather that’s being forecast for the coming days will present some very challenging road conditions for road users,” said RSA CEO Noel Brett.
He urged drivers to allow extra time to complete their journey, to use dipped headlights, and to keep a safe distance from other vehicles to allow a greater breaking distance.
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