More heavy rain expected as yellow warnings to come into effect

Eva Osborne

Much of the country can expect further heavy downpours on Saturday.

An overnight ice warning has now expired, but status yellow rainfall alerts have come into effect for 10 counties as of midday.

Connacht, as well as counties Cavan, Donegal, and Longford, will be under a status yellow rain warning from 12pm on Saturday until midnight on Sunday.

Met Éireann warned that the rain will be heavy at times and may turn to sleet or snow with strengthening winds causing difficult travel conditions and poor visibility.

Speaking on Newstalk, Mark Bowe, forecaster with Met Éireann, said there is no escaping the rain just yet.

"We're going to see the heaviest rain across Cork and Kerry and then we're gonna see some travel disruption from the rainfalling as sleet and snow in Connacht and parts of Ulster as well," he said.

"Now while those counties in the west are affected by the warnings, the rain will spread throughout the country and become widespread for a time, so we're all going to get a good spalsh from this front as it passes over."

Water levels in rivers and canals are being monitored in Dublin after weeks of heavy rain led to flooding in homes and roads in parts of the capital..

Mayo County Council said roads would be gritted on Friday evening and Saturday morning, and urged the public to exercise caution when using the roads.

Dublin City Council said on Friday night that it was actively monitoring elevated surface water levels across the city, particularly in the River Liffey around Chapelizod area.

The council also said it was working closely with Waterways Ireland in relation to the Grand Canal, which has heightened water levels.

The council also said priority routes would be gritted, but warned the public that hazardous driving conditions and travel disruption may occur.

Additonal reporting PA.