LAST UPDATE | 27 Jul 2018

TWO RAINFALL WARNINGS have been put in place across much of the country, with heavy downpours expected overnight.

Met Éireann issued the first Status Yellow warning this morning with another following later this afternoon, predicting that between 25-45mm of rain could fall between 9pm tonight and 9am tomorrow morning.

The warning is in place for Leinster, Connacht, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal and Waterford.

The only counties which have escaped the warning are Kerry and Clare.

The Road Safety Authority, meanwhile, is urging motorists to watch out for flash flooding and the risk of aquaplaning. In a statement released this afternoon, it said:

Flooded roads could be deeper than you think so do not attempt to drive through them.

It explained that following the recent dry weather a build-up of oil and rubber deposit may have developed on the roads.

“After a long spell of dry weather these deposits mix with rainwater and the road becomes hazardous. The resulting greasy road surface increases stopping distances and the risk of a skid. The advice is to slow down and increase braking distance.”

The rainfall warning comes following a period of drought that led to Met Éireann issuing warnings for a lack of rain less than 10 days ago.

Additional reporting by Cliódhna Russell, Sean Murray