Weather conditions for tomorrow are expected to be wet and windy and could lead to localised flooding again, Met Éireann has warned. Fiona Gartlandreports.
A resurgence of the wet and windy weather is likely following slacker winds today and could yield up to 25mm of rain in some parts of the country. Tonight is expected to be very mild with temperatures not falling below 9 or 10 degrees. Tomorrow will also be relatively mild with temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees but there will be widespread rain and strong winds.
Met Éireann forecaster Vincent O'Shea said the worst weather may be expected tomorrow evening and into the night. "Saturday night will be mild and frost free," he said. "Sunday morning will begin with showers and rain will become heavy and persistent everywhere in the afternoon.
"We could see 25mm in parts of the west and north and there could be a threat of localised flooding." Winds as high as 100km an hour could be experienced and would be more sustained than gusts experienced last weekend.
He added that the recent storms were not unusual and there had been no record-breaking winds yet. "People get spoilt after a fine autumn," he said.
Traffic conditions meanwhile around the country yesterday were not as bad as had been anticipated. Dry weather on the east coast and closed schools combined to make driving in and around Dublin easier than in recent days.
AA Roadwatch said traffic in the capital was not exceptional and did not build up until the evening rush hour.
There were some delays for shoppers exiting car parks in the evening, but tailbacks on the M50, such as those seen in the past by shoppers visiting the Blanchardstown centre, were not in evidence.
However, shoppers in Cork and Galway did experience long delays getting in and out of the city centre, a spokeswoman said.
Elsewhere, Dublin airport yesterday celebrated its 20 millionth passenger of the year with champagne and flowers. It was the first time in the airport's history that the 20 million mark had been reached in a single year. At midday Galway woman Áine Casey (26) arrived from Dubai on board Aer Lingus flight EI 101 and received congratulations, champagne, flowers and a €3,000 holiday voucher from the Dublin Airport Authority.
DAA director of communications Vincent Wall said it was a historic milestone. "It means that the equivalent of more than five times the entire population of Ireland travelled through Dublin airport this year alone."