Localised flooding fear as Status Yellow rainfall warning issued for Cork

Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow rainfall warning for Cork and six other counties, with localised flooding expected.

After a week of freezing weather, Wednesday looks set to bring milder temperatures and heavy rain.

The Status Yellow rain warning, which will come into effect at 10am on Wednesday will affect Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford and Wicklow.

Met Éireann has warned that spells of heavy rain spreading eastwards will be accompanied by strong and gusty southeasterly winds.

Potential impacts may include localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility.

There are gale force warnings in place for all coasts on Wednesday and a further Status Yellow gale warning from Valentia to Loop Head will be valid from 10pm on Tuesday as southeasterly winds are expected to increase to gale force 8 at times.

Tuesday will see afternoon highs of 3 to 7 degrees in mostly light breezes, but southeasterly winds will freshen later in western coastal fringes.

Tuesday night will be cold and mostly dry at first with some clear spells and lowest temperatures around -1 degree in the north of Munster with frost, but milder towards the south with no frost.

Rain will spread north-eastwards overnight clearing any frost and south-easterly winds will freshen with the arrival of the rain.

Wednesday will be a wet and very windy day with outbreaks of rain turning heavy at times, bringing a risk of spot flooding.

Milder than recently with afternoon highs of 7 to 10 degrees, and south-easterly winds will be very strong with some strong gusts.

Wednesday night will be mild, wet and windy, and outbreaks of rain, heavy at times, will give way to some drier intervals extending from the southwest for a time, but further outbreaks of rain and drizzle will spread from the south later in the night.

Lowest temperatures of 5 to 9 degrees, with fresh to strong and gusty southeast winds moderating for a time before picking up again towards morning.

It will be damp or wet and breezy to begin on Thursday, with further outbreaks of rain, heavy at times, bringing an ongoing risk of spot flooding.

A clearance to sunny spells and blustery showers, some heavy, will extend from the southwest through the morning and early afternoon.

Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds, with coastal gales developing on Atlantic and southern coasts during the afternoon and evening.

There will be showers or longer spells of rain on Thursday night, some heavy, especially in parts of the west and south.

Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees in fresh to strong and gusty southerly winds.

Friday looks set to bring a mix of cloud and bright spells with scattered showers, with the showers merging to longer spells of rain at times over the southern half of the country, and the day may be windy, with highest daytime temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees and 6 to 9 degrees overnight.

The weekend looks set to see Atlantic low pressure dominating, bringing further spells of wet and windy weather with temperatures near or slightly above average for the time of year.