LAST UPDATE | 8 Dec 2019
A STATUS RED wind warning has been issued for Kerry as Storm Atiyah is set to arrive along the west coast.
Gale force winds and blustery showers are to arrive across the country over the coming hours.
The status red warning for Kerry comes into effect between the hours of 4pm and 7pm this afternoon.
A red level warning is issued when conditions are forecast to become “extremely dangerous” or “destructive” with advice given for members of the public to “take action to protect yourself and your property”.
The western parts of the country will bear the brunt of the stormy conditions with a status orange wind warning coming into effect from 1pm for eight other counties along the west coast.
The counties affected include Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, and Limerick.
The warning will remain in place for the rest of the day and overnight until 6am tomorrow.
Atiyah will track between Iceland and Ireland “generating very strong winds across the country. Southwesterly winds, later veering northwesterly, will reach mean speeds between 65km/h and 80km/h with gusts between 110km/h and 130km/h,” forecasters at Met Éireann have said.
A status yellow wind warning for the entire country has been in place since 7pm yesterday and will remain in place until 1pm today. It will remain in place for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tipperary and Waterford until 6am tomorrow morning.
The national meteorological office also said there is a possibility of coastal flooding with areas in Donegal expected to see rainfall accumulations of 30-40mm.
“Storm Atiyah will bring very windy conditions across the country today… [with] potentially severe and damaging gusts,” Met Éireann said.
“There will be frequent blustery showers throughout the day with a risk of hail and thunder.”
Tonight will continue to be windy with strong gusts and showers will become isolated. Top temperatures will range between 4C and 7C.
The rest of the week is forecast to be unsettled and top temperatures from midweek onwards will drop to between 2C and 5C.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said it is advising the public not to visit any national parks, national monuments or nature reserves whilst the Status Orange is in place.
The following parks and nature reserves will be closed today:
Dublin Zoo has also decided to close the Wild Lights exhibit and has posted advice on its Twitter account for anyone who had purchased tickets.
Cork County Council has put response crews on standby with “the main impact of Storm Atiyah to include fallen trees and possibly structural damage from high winds, and coastal flooding caused by the storm surge”.
“Driving conditions may be hazardous with surface flooding possible. Motorists are reminded to take additional care and be conscious of cyclists and pedestrians.”
The Road Safety Authority is asking road users to exercise caution while using the roads during the stormy period. They ask motorists to beware of objects blowing onto the road and to reduce speed.
Irish Rail has this morning said schedules are facing delays in the southwest of the country as trains run at reduced speeds.
“As a precaution due to #StormAtiyah Red Weather Alert, from 2pm until further notice, trains will operate at a reduced max speed of 50mph/80kph,” it said.
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