LAST UPDATE | 22 Nov
A STATUS RED rain warning will be in place overnight in counties Cork and Galway as Storm Bert sweeps over Ireland.
Met Éireann has warned the public that this weekend will be much wetter and windier than normal.
Storm Bert will pick up later tonight as very wet and windy conditions are expected.
Members of the public in areas under a Red warning have been urged to “shelter in place” and avoid travelling.
The heaviest rain will be in the southwest, causing flooding in some areas. Snow and sleet could form in the north and northwest.
There will be very strong and gusty south to southeast winds, with the strongest winds in areas near coasts.
Temperatures will drop overnight to between 0 and 5 degrees, but will get warmer as the night goes on.
The Status Red warnings for Cork and Galway will be in place from midnight until 10am on Saturday, with warnings of severe flooding, damage to homes and businesses, and dangerous travelling conditions.
A Status Orange warning for rain will also be in place from midnight until 10am Saturday across Clare, Kerry, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, and Waterford.
Met Éireann warns of intense falls of rain over a short period of time in these counties and possible impacts include surface flooding, possible river flooding, and very difficult travelling conditions.
Elsewhere, a Status Yellow wind and rain warning will be in place from 10pm tonight until 12 noon Saturday across Leinster, Connacht, Cavan and Monaghan.
In these regions, Storm Bert will bring very strong southeast to south winds, coupled with heavy rain.
Possible impacts include localised flooding, travel disruption and fallen trees.
Separately, a Status Yellow warning for wind, rain, snow and ice will be in place from 10pm tonight until 12 noon tomorrow in Co Donegal, where snow will turn to rain, coupled with strong southeast to south winds.
And the impacts of Storm Bert will be felt into Sunday too, with a Status Yellow wind warning in place from 5pm Saturday to 2am on Sunday night in Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow.
Meanwhile, a Yellow alert has been put in place by the UK Met Office across Northern Ireland, with a rain and snow warning in place from midnight until 11am tomorrow, and a wind warning in place from 5am Saturday to 7pm Saturday.
Tomorrow morning will be very wet and windy, conditions that will last until midday.
Warmer temperatures are expected, however, between 12 and 15 degrees. Strong southerly winds will sweep across the country all day tomorrow.
⚠️ Latest guidance on #StormBert and some context for the warnings issued can be found in our updated meteorologist commentary
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) November 22, 2024
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The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM), Met Éireann and relevant agencies met this morning to discuss the weather warnings which will impact the country tonight and into the weekend.
The NDFEM said it will continue to liaise with Met Éireann and monitor the situation, while local authority Severe Weather Assessment Teams will monitor conditions locally and have emergency response teams in place.
“It is quite clear that we will have challenging weather conditions at local level in many counties in the west and south west,” said Keith Leonard, national director of the NDFEM
“For those in areas affected by red level rain and wind warnings, I would particularly stress that the safest advice for those affected is to shelter in place and do not travel during the duration of the warning.”
Leonard also advised members of the public to monitor Met Éireann’s advice updates and act accordingly.
“Even after the storm has passed, there is a strong possibility of road flooding or fallen trees so drivers are urged to take care in the aftermath of the storm,” he said.
“For all members of the public, whatever part of the country you are in, rain and winds will be a factor overnight and early tomorrow,” Leonard said, urging people to stay away from coastal areas while the alerts remain in place.
Cork County Council has said its staff will be monitoring the situation in vulnerable areas such as Bantry and Midleton throughout the night.
Cork County Council crews have inspected “key high-risk areas” and “pumping arrangements are in place in known problem locations”.
Sandbags are available at priority locations while flood barriers have been installed in Mallow and Fermoy as a precaution, the Council said.
Issues such as flooding and road damage can be reported over the course of the weekend to the Council’s Emergency Out of Hours number (021) 4800048.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has also advised road users in Cork and Galway to avoid any travel during the Status Red alert.
The RSA has advised road users in areas under Orange or Yellow alerts to take extreme care over the weekend.
Gabriel Hynes, Senior Engineer with Waterford City and County Council, has urged the public to exercise caution and added that while the warning remains in place, the public should to heed all public safety advice and avoid unnecessary journeys.
He said anyone making car journeys should drive with caution, allow extra time, avoid driving through flowing or standing water and be conscious of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Met Éireann meteorologist Andrew Doran-Sherlock said Storm Bert will bring milder but very wet and windy conditions for the weekend.
Doran-Sherlock said that heavy rain will likely lead to localised flooding in urban areas and some river catchments, particularly in the west and southwest, as this rain is falling on already saturated and waterlogged ground.
He added that Met Éireann is closely monitoring the situation and will upgrade or issue warnings as its high resolution model is analysed.
This model provides information two days ahead.
He remarked that there is a strong likelihood of status orange wind warnings in western and northwestern counties.
The impacts from Storm Bert will commence later today and continue through the weekend and potentially through early next week as well.
Meanwhile, Dr Jennifer Keenahan, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at University College Dublin, warned that the storm’s timing is concerning because it will bring heavy rainfall onto already saturated ground.
She added that from a structural engineering perspective, Storm Bert presents several “critical concerns for our bridge infrastructure” and that the combination of heavy rainfall and strong winds creates multiple challenges.
“The saturated ground conditions significantly increase the risk of scour around bridge foundations, where fast-moving water can erode the supporting soil beneath bridge piers,” said Keenaghan.
“This is particularly worrisome when coupled with the intense rainfall predicted for this evening.
“The storm surge and wave action will create both lateral and vertical forces on bridge structures and these forces can be especially problematic as they can generate upward pressures on bridge decks.”
-With additional reporting from Diarmuid Pepper and David Mac Redmond
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