Heavy rain and winds forecast as Storm Isha approaches

A YELLOW wind warning has been issued for the entire island of Ireland ahead of Storm Isha, which is forecast to bring large amounts of rain and strong winds to West Cork this weekend.

The warning, issued by Met Éireann, is valid from Sunday morning at 11am until Monday at 6am.

The meteorological service issued the warning earlier today and is predicting very strong and gusty southwest winds, along with heavy rainfall.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is asking road users to exercise caution while using the roads throughout the warning period, particularly as the winds will have the potential to cause significant coastal waves, difficult travelling conditions, debris, and loose objects becoming displaced.

Meanwhile, Uisce Éireann is advising people to report leaks and help reduce water loss, as the freezing temperatures of recent days are set to be replaced by much milder conditions at the weekend.

The rapid thaw is expected to lead to a further increase in leaks and bursts throughout the network. Uisce Éireann has deployed additional crews to fix these leaks as they arise.

A statement from Uisce Éireann advises the public to check any property under their responsibility for burst pipes and leaks, and to report leaks in public areas so that repairs can be prioritised. In particular, people are asked not to leave taps running and fix dripping or leaking taps.

Water operations lead for Cork City, Sean Lynch said: 'Water is a precious resource that must go through a complex and costly treatment process before it is safe to drink. Since the start of the year, we have had over 20 burst watermains in Cork City and our crews are on the ground working to tackle leaks. We are asking the public for their support by preventing avoidable loss of water.'

The current Met Éireann forecast for tomorrow is as follows:

Tonight

'A cloudy night with rain gradually spreading from the Atlantic. A milder night with temperatures between 5 and 8 degrees. Turning blustery too with southerly winds increasing fresh to strong and gusty.'

Tomorrow

'Less cold tomorrow. Dull and damp with patchy rain and drizzle. More persistent rain will develop in the evening. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees and quite windy with fresh to strong southerly winds.'

Sunday

'Becoming wet and windy on Sunday with heavy rain spreading from the southwest and strong to near gale force and gusty southerly winds developing. Gales developing on some coasts also. Highest temperatures of 11 to 13 degrees.'

Sunday night

'Very windy and wet with very strong and gusty southwest winds and gales on coasts. Widespread heavy showers will gradually become more scattered overnight as winds veer westerly. Lowest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees.'