LAST UPDATE | 2 Aug

MET ÉIREANN HAS issued status yellow rain warnings for Clare, Kerry, Galway and Mayo ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.

The weather warning will be in place from 8pm on Sunday until midday on Bank Holiday Monday.

Heavy rain coupled with strong and gusty southerly winds are expected, Met Éireann has said, with localised flooding and damage to temporary structures possible.

Met Éireann has also warned that the strong winds will have a greater impact in exposed areas and that weather may lead to poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions.

A small craft warning is also in place for all coasts of Ireland from 7am on Sunday until 10pm on Monday, with the Coast Guard, RNLI and Water Safety Ireland calling on the public to “always think water safety” when they are on or near the water this weekend.

How the bank holiday weekend looks 

The forecast for the rest of the country remains mixed for the weekend.

Saturday could be the driest day for most of the country, with a mix of cloudiness, sunny spells and some scattered showers. The showers will mainly be contained to the west coast by evening, with Met Éireann saying the rest of the county will see plenty of sunshine.

Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 16 to 19 degrees and will be accompanied by fresh and gusty winds.

It will become cloudy overnight across the southwest, bringing some patches of rain to areas in the west and north of the country as the night progresses.

Things turn much wetter on Sunday, with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle expected across the county in the morning. Heavy and persistent rain will also develop in many areas during the afternoon and evening, though some parts of the southeast may escape and stay largely dry.

There is also a risk of some localised flooding across parts of Connacht and west Ulster throughout the day. The heavy rain will continue with further spells expected through Sunday night bringing continued risk of spot flooding in some areas.

Temperatures will be humid, Met Éireann has said, with highs of between 15 to 18 and lows of between 14 to 17 degrees.

The rain will also continue into Bank Holiday Monday, with the added possibility of some thundery downpours in some parts. It’s expected to be generally cloudy and humid throughout the day, with temperatures climbing back into the low 20s across the northeast.

The weather is set to stay unsettled through next week also, with showers and longer spells of rain expected.