Hurricane Danielle could hit Ireland this weekend but will have lost strength

Hurricane Danielle is tracking towards Ireland could hit this weekend but by that stage, according to forecasters, it will have lost most of its bite.

Danielle is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season but by tomorrow it is likely to have lost that status as it continues to lose strength.

If the weather system does make landfall here on Sunday — some models are predicting it will fall south of the country and miss the mainland — it will likely bring more rain, although probably less severe than what the country is already dealing with this week.

“The weather we have at the moment could be more impactful than the weather that could potentially be coming this weekend,” said Met Éireann forecaster Emer Flood, putting the current hurricane system in some context.

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That more immediate rain is of most threat in the south, particularly in Cork and Waterford which are currently under a yellow weather warning until 7am on Wednesday. It specifies the possibility of rainfall accumulations from heavy showers and long spells of rain overnight. Isolated thunderstorms and spot flooding is also possible.

Those conditions are the product of a low pressure system that should dissipate by the end of the week with Saturday looking like being a predominantly dry day.

Whatever additional threat Hurricane Danielle might pose, it is currently a long way off in the mid-Atlantic and losing its intensity as it goes. Further modelling in the coming days will give greater certainty as to its path.

It is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season which runs from June to November, and for the first time since 1997 there were no named storms in the region during August.

“Its impact on Ireland could mean another spell of rain on Sunday,” if it arrives here, explained Ms Flood.

“However, nothing too concerning of yet from this. I don’t think anyone should be worried about it yet. Even if the rain does come it doesn’t look like it will be too severe or anything like that. However, given that there’s still a lot of uncertainty about the track and its development we are keeping an eye on it.”

Meanwhile, has also issued an environmental advisory, warning that current conditions are conducive to the spread of potato blight between Tuesday and Friday. Due to unsettled conditions, there will be very few opportunities for spraying, it said.