Weather warnings in place as Storm Antoni’s effects create bank holiday washout

Both Met Éireann and the UK’s Met Office have issued rain and wind warnings as Ireland is set for “unseasonably wet” weather leading to a wash-out start to the August bank holiday weekend.

Storm Antoni, named by the UK Met Office, will bring unseasonable wind and rain, with warnings issued across the country for both.

A Status Yellow rain warning for Connacht, Clare and Tipperary came into effect from 8pm on Friday and will remain in place until 8am on Saturday with spells of heavy rain expected.

There will be the possibility of spot flooding, poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions.

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Another Status Yellow rain warning will come into effect from 11pm for Leinster, Monaghan and Cavan and will be in place until 10am on Saturday.

A third Status Yellow wind warning is to come into effect from 4am for Cork, Kerry, Waterford and Wexford and will be in place until 12pm on Sunday.

Met Éireann meteorologist Aoife Kealy warned that rain “will turn heavy in places overnight and on Saturday morning, which could lead to spot flooding. The low pressure system will also bring strong and gusty northwest winds, especially in the southwest and south.”

She added that there was still “uncertainty around the track of this low and the exact areas that will see the strongest winds and heaviest rain.”

Despite the uncertainty in the low’s exact trajectory Ms Kealy said it would be “unseasonably wet and windy”.

She added that the “combination of those strong winds and heavy rain could lead to some difficult travelling conditions on Saturday morning”

The low pressure system will gradually move into the Irish Sea on Saturday, with scattered showers following from the northwest.

“That low will clear to the east on Saturday afternoon, and a mix of sunshine and showers will follow for later Saturday and Sunday. It’ll be a brighter day on Sunday with more in the way of dry spells.” continued Ms Kealy.

Sunday is looking like the best day of the weekend – another low pressure system will cross the country on Monday, bringing further rainfall.

“With the unseasonable weather expected over the weekend, especially with more people on the move for the bank holiday, we ask people to keep an eye on the forecast and any possible warnings for their area,” Ms Kealy concluded.

The UK Met Office has a Status Yellow rain warning in place for Northern Ireland from midnight until 11am tomorrow as it warned that wet and windy conditions could cause disruption as the weekend begins.

Storm Antoni is expected to hit the UK this weekend with gusts of up to 105km per hour

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Meanwhile, in Dublin, services on the Luas Green Line will be suspended between St Stephen’s Green and Beechwood on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, due to essential engineering works. Luas tickets will be accepted by Dublin Bus on routes close to the closed stops for the duration.

Irish Rail is also suspending services between Malahide and Drogheda on Saturday and Sunday due to engineering works. Irish Rail said limited bus services will operate between Drogheda and Connolly serving a number of intermediate stations.

Those intending to visit Dublin are advised to check the journey planners on the websites of public transport providers.