LAST UPDATE | 13 Feb 2020

MET ÉIREANN IS warning people about “very wet and very windy weather over the weekend and into Monday” due to the arrival of Storm Dennis. 

It will mark the second storm in a week after Storm Ciara made landfall last weekend. 

Met Éireann has published an advisory forecasting the arrival of Storm Dennis in Ireland on Sunday and continuing into Monday, but with high winds creeping in from Saturday. 

“Gales are likely in coastal areas on Saturday with fresh to strong winds inland. Winds could increase further on Sunday, possibly becoming stormy, particularly along western coasts. It will be very gusty too over the weekend, with some damaging gusts possible,” it said.

As river levels have already risen, the arrival of Dennis could lead to localised flooding in some parts of the country, particularly in the midlands.

“The combination of high seas and strong winds or perhaps stormy conditions, may increase the possibility of coastal flooding especially along western and southern coasts due to wave transformation,” the forecaster said. 

“Storm Dennis may also bring very wet conditions with localised flooding possible. River levels are elevated across much of the midlands so any heavy rainfall would cause issues here.”

Met Éireann has not yet issued any national weather warnings but says that “warnings will be issued on Friday”. 

Marine

Two Status Yellow marine warnings have also been issued – a gale warning for tonight when southerly winds will reach gale force on Irish coastal waters from Mizen Head to Slyne Head to Fair Head, and a small craft warning as westerly winds will reach force six or higher today.

Mist and fog will form this evening soon after dark, according to Met Éireann. Temperatures are expected to drop to minus one degrees in the north of the country and bring a sharp frost.

Further south, temperatures will fall to between plus one and plus three degrees early on and then rise through the night as southerly winds freshen.

Cloud will increase from the west with rain arriving at the coast there before dawn.

Rain will move quickly in a band from west to east tomorrow morning with sunshine and scattered showers following quickly. Temperatures will be between nine and 11 degrees with strong southerly winds veering southwest and easing later.

With reporting from Conor McCrave and Rónán Duffy