Storm Austen: Cork braces for flooding as council warns it will be ‘a bad night’
Pádraig Barrett, director of Cork County Council, has urged people to exercise caution if they need to go out on Thursday evening. Picture: Larry Cummins
Cork is bracing for a night of heavy rain and possible flooding as an orange weather warning comes into effect on Thursday evening, with the county council urging people to avoid unnecessary journeys.
Cork, Kerry and Waterford will be under a status orange rain warning from 10pm on Thursday until 5am on Friday as Storm Austen brings intense rainfall and very difficult travelling conditions.
Pádraig Barrett, director of Cork County Council, has urged people to exercise caution if they need to go out on Thursday evening, warning that conditions could make driving particularly hazardous.
He said it would be “a bad night, not a night for driving, not a night for going out”, and urged people who had to travel to take care, with the warning extending into Friday morning.
Flood response plans have been prepared, with sandbags and pumps deployed where necessary, Mr Barrett said. He also encouraged people to secure loose items in their gardens and exercise caution when driving.
“We're preparing for flooding and hopeful that won't happen; there's a risk to all areas of the county, so it's hard to say where it's going to impact specifically,” he told RTÉ's .
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Met Éireann meteorologist Gerry Murphy said rainfall totals of between 40mm and 60mm were expected in counties under orange warnings overnight.
“So, a very wet evening and night in store. Flooding is likely, and that flooding is likely to be mainly surface flooding. Coastal flooding is not quite as likely on the south coast, because the winds will be blowing away; the main winds will be north-westerly so they'll be blowing offshore,” Mr Murphy told RTÉ's on Thursday.
Updates to Yellow warnings, please see changes for your county ➡️https://t.co/Xg3aMJm6kq
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 22, 2026
Status Yellow - Rain and wind warning for Leinster, Munster⚠️
Valid: 19:00 Thursday 22/10/2026 to 10:00 Friday 23/10/2026 pic.twitter.com/D9St6bYGcy
Tides are not expected to be high, making coastal flooding less likely, he added. River flooding remains possible in smaller catchments, particularly on higher ground, but is less likely in larger catchments because rivers still have capacity following a relatively dry summer and limited rainfall so far.
“Surface flooding will be the greatest impact with regard to flooding, and those counties along the south and the east coast will get the highest amounts.”
Mr Murphy warned that heavy rain would also affect Cork and other parts of the country under yellow-level warnings, with difficult travelling conditions expected.
Cork City Council has activated its Severe Weather Plan in preparation for potential impacts from Storm Austen.
The council has urged road users to allow extra time for journeys to work, school and college on Friday and to “expect the unexpected”.
The public is being advised to avoid unnecessary journeys, take care in areas where buildings may have suffered structural damage, stay away from exposed quays, fallen electricity lines and trees, and secure loose outdoor items and construction sites.
A separate status orange rain warning will come into effect at 2am on Friday for Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow, remaining in place until 8am.
A status yellow rain warning will also apply across Munster and Leinster from 7pm on Thursday.
Met Éireann has warned that strong easterly winds will turn northwesterly and strengthen further, particularly in the south and southeast.
Potential impacts include difficult travelling conditions, localised flooding, displaced debris and loose objects, disruption to outdoor events and fallen trees or branches.
Mr Murphy said the heavy rain could affect Friday morning commutes, with flooding possible on roads in both the east and south of the country.
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