Warnings of new rain for west coast counties hit by Storm Ashley – The Irish Times

Met Éireann has issued further rain warnings for several counties hit hard by Storm Ashley this weekend.

The forecaster has issued yellow rain warnings for counties Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Cork at 3pm on Thursday. The warnings for Kerry and Cork are valid until 1pm on Friday, while the warnings for the other counties expire earlier, at 3am on Friday.

Storm Ashley, the first named storm of the season, caused significant disruption and damage to the West Coast this past weekend. Tens of thousands of homes were without power, with Galway, Mayo and Kerry among the worst affected counties. Some coastal flooding was reported in Galway, and dangerous conditions caused many flights to and from Dublin and Belfast to be cancelled. Sporting events – including several Gaelic football province finals – were postponed.

Met Éireann said Cork and Kerry will see heavy and persistent rain from Thursday to Friday, with the possibility of thunderstorms. There is also a risk of local flooding, difficult travel conditions and poor visibility.

The forecaster also warned of heavy and persistent rain for Clare, Limerick, Galway and Mayo, with the risk of localized flooding, difficult travel conditions and poor visibility.

On Thursday morning it will rain in the west and northwest and become heavy at times. Other parts of the country will enjoy a mainly dry morning, with some spots of light rain or drizzle.

However, the rain will spread further east in the afternoon and evening, “with some heavy falls potentially causing localized flooding,” Met Éireann said. The highest temperatures are between 13 and 16 degrees.

Thursday night will be wet and windy with widespread rain, heaviest in Munster and Leinster. There is a risk of local flooding.