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LAST UPDATE | 5 Feb 2020
STORM CIARA WILL bring a weekend of unsettled weather, including heavy rain and strong winds on election day this Saturday.
The storm was officially named by the UK’s Met Office, and is expected to bring unsettled weather this weekend.
Met Éireann says that after a mostly dry start on Saturday morning, heavy rain and strong winds will move eastwards over the country. The forecaster says this will bring the risk of “very strong squally winds for a time in the afternoon”.
Voting in Saturday’s general election begins at 7am and continues until 10pm.
The rain will ease on Saturday evening and turn showery but strong winds will return on Sunday when the counting of ballots will also begin.
“Current indications suggest a very strong and squally southwest wind will develop on Sunday along with heavy rain as Storm Ciara moves eastwards to the north of the country,” Met Éirean says in its latest forecast.
“The rain will clear to showers and squally westerly winds later in the day.”
Met Office / Twitter
Met Office / Twitter / Twitter
Wind warnings are in place for the UK on Saturday and Sunday but Met Éireann has yet to issue any warnings for Ireland.
In a meteorologist’s commentary on Storm Ciara, Met Éireann’s Evelyn Cusack said unsettled weather would continue into next week, when cold air from Canada and the North Atlantic brings low pressure towards Ireland.
“Next week, conditions will remain very disturbed across Ireland and the UK,” she said.
“It will remain very windy and turn much colder with the chance of wintry showers and ice in some parts.”
Cusack also warned of possible flooding in coastal areas arising from windy and stormy conditions next week, which will coincide with high seas as a result of spring tides.
She also advised members of the public to keep an eye on forecasts as predictions improve over the next few days, in order to be up to date if any warnings are issued by Met Éireann.
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The winds of change
blowing away Fina Gale,
@WoodlandBard: … oops, Fine Gale
There is a storm a coming alright…… A Shinner Storm #timeforchange
@dublinsnap:
Hope it blows ALL the politicians off the isle of Ireland. Wasters
@Patricia Mc Kenna: yawn
Hopefully Ciara will wipe out FFG on Saturday.
Ooops that wont suit the fogie voters…
@Gavin Tobin: that’s all the young and foolish people staying at home so….Sinn Fein have just lost half their electorate!
@IRL77: just off for a nap. Thank you, I’ve been having trouble sleeping. Yawn!
@Michael Burke: keep dreaming folks
@IRL77: we will vote why pick in us older more like it will affect
@Stephen: nightmaring
Dont you just live the FINE GAEL colours of the storm you could not make it up..
There will be a storm alright blowing them out of Government from what I can see and hear..
Haha, another storm in tea cup.
Blustery. Windy. Wet. Miserable.
But hey. Enough about Irish politics! What’s the weather like?
Its amazing the difference this will actually make to the voting. Id swear FG planned this. The SF vote will take as much battering as the trees will as Jockser & the boys wont walk out in the rain to vote……..
Great day for the drying.
The weather won’t suit those who buy their sliced pan in their jim jams…
@TouchingCloth: And usually with their palm in their Jim jams.
Vote SF Ciara….
Big storm already for Sinn Fein Mary Lou falling over herself With her minister for finance in the north Let’s not forget a young man was murdered in terrible circumstances
@Michael Graham: Let’s not forget over 4,000 homeless children in Ireland. Vote SF to give Irish citizens hope!
@Mike Ruddy: Don’t make me laugh! There are 20,000 homeless in Northern Ireland but SF were too busy grandstanding about the Irish Language to do anything about them for the past 3 years!
Okay let’s all vote for Clara on Saturday and hopefully all the candidates in the election will get a good shaking up.
@Jim Sullivan: did the wind blow your finger from i to l?
@Brian Dálaigh.Well doesn’t a slip of
the finger change change a word.Bless your observance. Perhaps you might have a comment on the actual article.
@Jim Sullivan: ah jaysus, just having a bit of fun. I’ve been known for my own faux pas. It wasn’t a dig at your spelling. I’ve often had my own misspellings.just making light of it.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: Ok Brian.Comment taken as you intended.No problem.I do know that there are commentators that get great satisfaction from bringing to attention the grammatical mistakes of others on this forum.Hope you have a good day.
Hear that Conor? Go easy on the box kicks now will ya?
bit o rain
@ed w: yeah this is called a weather forecast.
Rainswept political squalls ahead so.
Hopefully Ciara will blow Leo away…
Speedy election with plenty of gusto. We’ll be blown into the polling stations wearing fashionable suits and dresses.
Bad weather means mostly the looney left and right will come out to vote. You want change? Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it!
What have strong winds on Sunday got to do with counting the votes?
Storm Mary-Lou would be more fitting
Holy Fc u. k.. winter brings winter weather.
I for one welcome our new winter overlords.
Poll: is it possible for irish people to not turn every story into a “joke” about politicians
1. No
2. No
3. F off
@thomas patrick: put me down for number 3 there Tom.
have your say