Wet, windy weekend forecast

Met Éireann has warned that heavy rain could lead to localised flooding over the weekend.

Met Éireann has warned that heavy rain could lead to localised flooding over the weekend.

Forecaster Evelyn Cusack said she expected tomorrow to be "very wet and very windy" with widespread heavy rain and southerly gales likely to affect some areas.

Ms Cusack said between 20mm and 50mm of rain would fall across the country tomorrow. She said the ground was already saturated and that this could lead to localised floods in some counties.

"We haven't had a wet winter but there has been no drying so the ground is fairly sodden and rain will pool which could lead to localised flooding," she said.

The rain comes as water restrictions continue in the Dublin region. Dublin City Council said it would continue to impose pressure reductions and shut-offs in some areas tonight, as did Fingal County Council.

However, there are no planned restrictions in Fingal for tomorrow or Sunday as reservoir levels are returning to normal.

Tomorrow is expected to be a mild day, with temperatures of between 9 and 12 degrees, but the strong winds are likely to have a cooling effect.

Met Éireann said gusts of 80 to 90 km/h would be experienced in most areas but these could reach 100km/h or more in exposed parts of the south and west.

Temperatures are expected to fall on Sunday but it is forecast to be a drier and calmer day. Frost is forecast to return on Sunday night, with temperatures of 2 to -2 degrees likely in some areas.