By Grace McGettigan
11th Mar 2019
11th Mar 2019
Following yesterday’s temperamental weather – which consisted of thunder, snow, hail and sunshine – Met Éireann says stormy conditions are set to continue.
The Irish meteorological service has issued three weather warnings for the entire country. These include an orange wind warning for Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo; as well as yellow wind and rain warnings for the rest of the country.
Storm Gareth
Over the next 48-hours, the wind will be strong enough to gain storm status; namely Storm Gareth. Met Éireanns says, “As storm Gareth approaches, westerly winds will reach mean speeds of 65 to 75km/hr, with damaging gusts reaching 110 to 130km/hr. There is also the risk of coastal flooding due to high seas,” they added.
Monday
Persistent rain will develop in the west of the country on Monday, before extending eastwards by evening time.
By Monday night, heavy rain and strong winds will create a risk of spot flooding. There may also be showers of hail and thunder. What’s more, temperatures will fall to between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius.
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From 6 pm on Monday to 6 am on Tuesday, a status yellow rainfall warning will be in place for Connacht, Donegal, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick. Forecasters say to expect accumulations of up to 25 mm.
A Level Orange weather warning has been put in place by @MetEireann this morning for Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo & Sligo. As Storm Gareth approaches westerly winds will reach 65km/hr to 130km/hr. Risk of coastal flooding due to high seas. Take care on the roads, esp coastal routes pic.twitter.com/cy0SkR07eX
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) March 11, 2019
Tuesday
On Tuesday, the wind will pick up further as Storm Gareth moves towards Scotland. Met Éireann says gale-force winds and storm-force winds will develop in the coastal areas of Connacht and west Ulster.
The orange wind warning is in place from midday on Tuesday, until 9 am on Wednesday, for counties Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo. There will be damaging gusts reaching 110 to 130km/hr, as well as a risk of coastal flooding due to high seas.
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Meanwhile, a yellow wind warning is in place for the rest of Ireland; with westerly winds reaching mean speeds of 50 to 65km/hr, and gusts of 90 to 110km.
In addition to that, heavy showers will continue to fall nationwide, including hailstones and thunder. Temperatures are unlikely to exceed 5 to 8 Celsius.
7 Day Forecast Pressure and Precipitation Charts in 6 hour intervalshttps://t.co/v5aQGT8F9e pic.twitter.com/XEdHwfuuZn
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) March 11, 2019
Wednesday
Wednesday’s weather will remain unsettled, with blustery conditions expected everywhere that morning. Rain will continue to fall in showers (some of which will be heavy), with minimum temperatures of 5 to 7 Celsius.
Weather warnings dissected
The concept behind the yellow weather warning is to notify those who are at risk (either because of their location and/or activity), as well as to allow them time to take preventative action. Yellow weather alerts are for conditions that do not pose an immediate threat to the general population, but rather are something for people to be aware of.
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During an orange alert, weather conditions may impact significantly on people in the affected areas. When this warning comes into place, people in the affected areas “should prepare themselves in an appropriate way for the anticipated conditions”; such as tying down the wheelie bins or stocking up on food.
Lastly, during a red warning, people should take action to protect themselves and/or their properties. Met Éireann says, “this could be by moving their families out of the danger zone temporarily; by staying indoors; or by other specific actions aimed at mitigating the effects of the weather conditions.”
Photo: Unsplash
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