Flood risks as Cork, Kerry and Waterford under orange rain warning

Met Éireann is warning of "very heavy and persistent rain", with highest accumulations in mountainous areas of Kerry and West Cork.

The possible impacts include river and coastal flooding, dangerous travelling conditions and travel disruption.

Elsewhere, a status yellow rain warning is also in place for counties Clare, Limerick, Galway and Mayo. This alert is already in place and will also run until midnight.

Heavy and persistent rain will be seen in those counties on Saturday with impacts including localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions.

The public have been advised not to undertake any unnecessary journeys during the orange warning.

Met Éireann has predicted that Saturday will be wet and breezy with showery outbreaks of rain, which will be heavy at times. Amid the status yellow warning, Met Éireann says localised flooding is likely, especially especially in Cork, Kerry and Waterford. Highest temperatures on Saturday will range from 14C to 17C.

Saturday night will be wet at first with widespread outbreaks of showery rain, though this will gradually become confined to the north and east by early morning. Thereafter, drier and clearer conditions will begin moving in from the southwest. Temperatures Saturday night will range from 9C to 13C.

On Sunday, Met Éireann says that the last of the lingering cloud and rain will clear the north and east in the morning giving way to a day of sunny spells and scattered showers, with the heaviest and most persistent rain likely to be seen the south and west.

Temperatures on Sunday will be slightly warmer than previous days, at around the 15C to 18C mark.