A STATUS RED alert for rain is in place across Cork and Galway, with the rest of the country under Orange or Yellow warnings due to Storm Bert.
Storm Bert will displace the recent cold Arctic air mass that brought cold weather earlier this week, with Met Éireann noting that this weekend will be much wetter and windier than normal.
The Status Red warning for rain across Cork and Galway is currently in place and will remain in place until 10am.
Bus Éireann has cancelled some services in the western parts of Cork and Galway, while advising all travellers to plan journeys and expect delays.
There are warnings of severe flooding, damage to homes and businesses, and dangerous travelling conditions in these counties.
The highest accumulations of rain is expected in west Cork and west Galway.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has advised road users in Cork and Galway to avoid any travel during the Status Red alert.
The National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management (NDFEM), Met Éireann and relevant agencies met yesterday morning to discuss the weather warnings.
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.
Meanwhile, Keith Leonard, National Director of the NDFEM, advised that people in Red alert counties should shelter in place and not travel during the duration of the warning.
He also urged everyone to stay away from coastal areas.
Transport for Ireland has advised people to check the status of specific transport operators before setting off.
“Please check with your transport operator before travelling as there may be delays or curtailments due to adverse weather conditions. Some services will be travelling at reduced speeds in the interests of safety,” TFI said in a statement.
Elsewhere, a Status Orange rainfall warning is currently in place until 10am 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.
Meanwhile, two separate Status Yellow alerts kicked in at 10pm on Friday and will remain in place until 12 noon.
One of these alerts is in Co Donegal, where a snow-ice, rain and wind warning is in place.
Met Éireann said snow will turn to rain in Donegal, coupled with strong southeast to south winds.
And a Status Yellow wind and rain warning is in effect across Connacht, Leinster, Munster, Cavan and Monaghan, with possible impacts including localised flooding, travel disruption, and fallen trees.
Separate from this, the impacts of Storm Bert will be felt into Sunday too, with a Status Yellow wind warning coming into place from 5pm Saturday until 2am on Sunday night across Carlow, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, and Wicklow.
The RSA has advised road users in areas under Orange or Yellow alerts to take extreme care over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is also under Status Yellow alerts, with a rain and snow warning currently in place until 11am, and a wind warning in place from 5am Saturday to 7pm Saturday.
Met Éireann meteorologist Andrew Doran-Sherlock warned that 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 continue over 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.”
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