Storm Diana: Met Éireann issues orange weather warnings

Met Éireann has issued two orange weather warnings ahead of Storm Diana, which is expected to sweep over the country on Wednesday.

The forecaster has warned there is a risk of coastal flooding in the south and southwest of the country.

An orange wind warning is in place for counties Cork, Kerry and Waterford between 6am and midday on Wednesday. Met Éireann said there will be south to southwest winds of 65 to 80km/h with gusts of up to 100 and 130km/h. A separate orange wind warning is in place for Wexford, Galway and Clare from 9am until 2pm on Wednesday.

A yellow wind warning is in place for the entire country from 5am until 4pm on Wednesday. Yellow gale and small craft warnings are also in place.

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Met Éireann forecaster Vincent O’Shea on Monday said there could be “damaging gusts” of up to 100 km/h on southern and south-eastern coasts on Tuesday. “All areas will get a spell of heavy rain and strong winds on Tuesday,” he said.

"Everything is coming from the south-west. The very heaviest rain will be in the places with the strongest winds which will be typically all of Munster, Wexford and Galway," he said. "There will be a brief lull on Tuesday afternoon, but it looks like there will be another batch of rain and heavy winds on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Wednesday is looking very stormy. All areas will get bad weather."

The Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience will be closed to visitors on Wednesday from 9am to 2pm due to the weather warning, as Clare County Council warns the public to avoid exposed coastal locations during the stormy conditions. High seas along the Clare coastline, including the Shannon Estuary, will bring a risk of flooding.

Azores

Storm Diana, named by the IPMA Portuguese weather service, was on Monday threatening the Azores and is due to make itself felt over western parts of Ireland and the UK on Wednesday.

Met Eireann said the weather will continue to be very changeable for the rest of the week. Gales will abate somewhat from Wednesday evening, but further spells of heavy rain can be expected overnight, especially over eastern counties.

Thursday will be cool and blustery with a mix of bright spells and occasional showers. The showers will be heavy and frequent over western counties, with the chance of hail. Southwest winds will be strong with further gale gusts.

Friday will be a brighter and mainly dry day with some sunny spells but still the chance of passing showers.

It will be a mainly dry day on Saturday but strong winds are expected overnight and on Sunday.

Dublin Port has reopened after it was forced to close for a number of hours on Tuesday morning as a result of strong winds. The Port Tunnel has also fully re-opened after traffic was earlier restricted entering the south bore.

Ahead of the arrival of Storm Diana on Wednesday, the Road Safety Authority advised road users to exercise extra caution.

Advice to motorists

• Beware of objects being blown out onto the road. Expect the unexpected.
• Watch out for falling/fallen debris on the road and vehicles veering across the road.
• Control of a vehicle may be affected by strong cross winds. High sided vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to strong winds.
• Allow extra space between you and vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists.
• Drive with dipped headlights at all times.

Advice to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists

• Be seen. Wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt.
• Take extra care when crossing the road or cycling in extremely windy conditions as a sudden gust of wind could blow you into the path of an oncoming vehicle.