Updated at 2.24pm

AFTER DAYS of low cloud, lashing rain and high winds — much of the country woke up to calm weather and blue skies this morning; perfect conditions for anyone heading for a pre-dinner walk or even a dip in the sea.

It’s not set to last, however — Met Éireann’s just issued a fresh ‘orange alert’, coming into effect from 5pm tomorrow evening.

Strong, stormy winds are once again expected to lash the country. Gusts of up to 130km are forecast, and the weather service is warning that it could lead to “further disruption and further damage”.

Conditions are expected to ease heading into the weekend, but some heavy showers of rain or hail are still forecast for Saturday. Sunday will start off dry and bright, with heavy rain spreading from the West later — and there’s further spells of wet and windy weather on the way in the early days of next week, according to initial indications.

In short – get out and make the most of it while you can…

First posted at 12pm

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