THAT MILD WEATHER at the start of December is increasingly just  a nice memory.

Met Éireann is warning people to expect no let-up in the rain and strong winds which have hit parts of the country over the past week with an Orange Alert gale warning issued in the early hours of this morning.

Meterologists say winds will hit gale force or strong gale force from this afternoon along the coast and will last well into the night. It follows flooding in a number of coastal areas yesterday, with motorists warned to take extra care as roads became impassable in some parts of the country.

In Dublin, the Liffey Boardwalk in the city centre has been closed to the public until tomorrow at the earliest due to very high tides in the the area.

Dublin City Council has installed sand bags in parts of Clontarf, which has frequently been flooded in the past, and Sandymount with public car parks in the two coastal suburbs closed until at least Friday.

The local authority has warned property owners in the city – particularly in Clontarf and Sandymount – to take measures to protect their properties.

Gallery: It was wet out there yesterday, very wet. Here’s the pics to prove it >

Read: Heavy rain, strong gales and high tides causing flooding and road closures >