Orange, Yellow warnings issued as heavy rain forecast

A series of rain warnings have been issued for the country with the first warning due to come into effect for ten counties along the west coast this evening.

A Status Yellow alert for counties Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Donegal and all of Connacht has come into effect and will remain in place until midnight on Monday.

Met Éireann warned the spells of heavy rain will increase the risk of flooding "due to high river levels and saturated ground".

A Status Orange weather warning has been issued for counties Cork and Kerry.

It will come into effect at 3am overnight and will remain in place until 6pm tomorrow.

The forecaster said there will be "significant rainfall accumulations, especially on high ground, with the highest totals expected in Kerry and west Cork".

It said the adverse weather conditions may cause river and surface flooding, difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility.

The forecaster has issued a separate Status Yellow warning for counties Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford.

The alert is due to come into effect at midnight tonight and is valid until 3am on Monday.

A Status Yellow rain warning for counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry is valid from midnight tomorrow until 6am on Monday, the UK Met Office said.

The Met Office warned periods of heavy rain "may lead to travel disruption and some flooding" in Northern Ireland.

The Road Safety Authority has urged road users to take "extra care" on the roads when travelling this weekend.

The RSA said drivers should "check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out on a journey".