Rainfall warning issued with risk of flooding in parts

August was a soggy month and September has carried on where it left off with more heavy rain forecast.

A status yellow rain warning has been issued for all of Connacht and the Ulster counties of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal. Heavy rain is expected from 10am until 9pm on Wednesday.

There is a chance of localised flooding and hazardous driving conditions.

Rain may exasperate flooding conditions in Connemara, Co Galway. Schools are closed in Clifden because of flooding and a holiday village locally has been evacuated.

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The longer term forecast is for unsettled conditions to continue for the foreseeable future.

August was a wet month everywhere especially in the south-west corner of the country where Shannon Airport in Co Clare, Sherkin Island in Co Cork and Valentia Observatory in Co Kerry recorded twice the normal amount of rainfall for the month, much of it as a result of Storm Ellen, Storm Francis and the remnants of Tropical Storm Kyle.

Sherkin Island had its wettest August since 1986 and Valentia had its wettest August since 2009 with 219.7mm of rain.

The month’s wettest day was also recorded there with 52mm on Monday, August 24th during Storm Francis.

Eight stations in total had rainfall above 150 per cent of their long-term average (LTA).

Nearly all mean air temperatures were above their LTA for August especially in the west of the country.

Knock Airport and Shannon Airport had their warmest August since 2003.

The month's highest temperature was reported at both Markree, Co Sligo and Mount Dillon, Co Roscommon on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th with a temperature of 25.2 degrees.

Met Éireann senior climatologist Keith Lampkin said August 2020 was unusual in having two named storms, Storm Ellen and Storm Francis, back to back. He said it was not typical to have any damaging storms in August in Ireland.

Mr Lampkin told RTÉ Radio 1's News at One programme that the patterns of rainfall in Ireland are changing and the public can expect more rain in August.

A pattern has emerged in recent years that a very dry spring like the one this year has been followed by an unusually wet summer, he told the programme.