Status Orange and Yellow rain warnings issued for eight western counties from tonight

LAST UPDATE | 12 hrs ago

STATUS ORANGE AND yellow rain warnings have been issued for eight western counties from tonight.

The first warning will come into effect for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Clare and Sligo at 9pm tonight and remain in place until 9am on Saturday.

Met Éireann said heavy rain and possible thunderstorms could result in localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and lightning damage.

A second Status Yellow warning for counties Cork and Kerry will be in place from 9am to 9pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a Status Orange warning will cover Donegal, Galway and Mayo from 1am to 7am on Saturday.

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The national forecaster said this spell of persistent rain could also lead to localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions, while outdoor events could also be impacted. 

Overall, mixed conditions are forecast for the remainder of the weekend and into next week, with periods of dry and bright weather interspersed with wet or showery ones. 

The rain will spread from the west through the night, though the southeast may stay dry until the morning. Southwesterly winds will also increase moderate to fresh and gusty, stronger near coasts. Lows of 10C to 15C. 

Saturday will stay wet and breezy, and while the rain will clear southwards through the morning, it may linger in the south for much of the day. Further north, drier conditions will develop with scattered showers and possibly some brighter spells following the clearance of the rain. Highest temperatures of 16C to 21C.

Any lingering rain in the south should clear early on Saturday night, leaving a mostly dry night with a mix of cloud and clear spells with a chance of a light shower. The temperatures will drop to between 9C and 13C. 

Met Éireann said Sunday is expected to stay dry for many, with just a few light showers expected. While it will be quite cloudy, some sunny spells will break through at times, with highs of 16C to 21C. 

Sunday night will be mild with a mix of cloud and clear spells, but outbreaks of rain will arrive in Atlantic coastal areas towards the morning. Lowest temperatures of 12C to 14C, with a light to moderate south to southwest breeze.