Cork weather: City council crews 'on standby' as rain and wind warnings set to come into effect 

Two yellow warnings will come into place today for Cork for rain and wind.

The alerts will come into effect at 1pm and remain in place until 9pm.

The first warning, for wind, will affect Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford. 

Met Éireann has warned that very strong and gusty southeasterly winds will bring difficult travelling conditions, fallen trees and branches, and debris and loose objects being displaced. 

Wave overtopping may also occur due to a combination of spring tides, surge and very strong onshore winds.

The second is for rain, which will affect Cork, Kerry and Waterford. 

According to Met Éireann, spells of heavy rain may bring localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility.

Localised flooding expected in city centre

Cork City Council said it is predicting localised surface flooding at high tide today on a number of low-lying city centre quays including Wandesford Quay, Lavitt's Quay, Union Quay, Kyrl's Quay and South Terrace.

High tide this evening is at 7.46pm. 

"This is not a fluvial flooding event and is primarily a tidal occurrence," a city council spokesperson said.

However, pedestrians and motorists are advised to exercise caution, avoid parking on affected quays, and allow extra time for travel, as traffic delays may occur in the city centre.

Households and businesses are being urged to take precautionary measures to protect their properties.

"Cork City Council is closely monitoring the situation and will have crews on standby to respond as required. 

"No road closures are currently expected; however, temporary lane restrictions may be put in place in certain areas at certain times," the spokesperson added.

Traffic

The N22 at Carrighrohane is facing delays as of 7.15am, while parts of the N71 coming in from Bandon are seeing similar congestion.

The N28 is also seeing tailbacks heading up to Carr's Hill from Shannonpark, whilst Rochestown is also seeing similar congestion 

Motorists are being urged to take caution whilst driving.

A section of the N20 will be subject to a temporary daytime road closure to facilitate essential road improvement works, Cork County Council have said. 

It will come into effect at 8am for the section between New Twopothouse and Lisballyhay Junction until 8pm.

Outlook

Tomorrow will be a fresh day with a mix of sunny spells and showers, some turning heavy with the chance of isolated thunder expected during the day.

It will then become dry tomorrow night, with showers confined to the west and clear spells coming through.

Thursday will be mostly dry and bright weather to begin, with sunny spells before cloud starts to thicken from the Atlantic and bring a spell of rain during the day. 

Some heavy bursts are possible. 

Highs of 14C to 17C are expected.

There is still uncertainty in the details for Friday, but current indications suggest a mix of bright spells with temperatures of around 14C to 18C.