IRELAND will be battered by heavy wind and rain this weekend – and Dublin does not look set to escape the miserable weather.
The capital today experienced its first taste of sunshine after it went 11 days with zero hours of sun, marking the longest-running sunless streak since records began.
Dublin will not see as much rain as other parts of the country this week[/caption]
And after the sun made its return across Dublin today, people were warned to make the most of the brighter conditions while they last.
Forecasters have warned that a powerful weather event is hurtling in from the Atlantic and towards Ireland’s coasts, with conditions set to take a turn on Saturday night.
And fears are growing that conditions, which experts have said may be named as a storm by Met Eireann, could cause power outages and travel disruptions, though neither would be on the scale of Eowyn.
Cathal Nolan from Ireland’s Weather Channel confirmed that there will be two very windy episodes, each bringing strong to gale force winds, hitting Ireland this week.
The weather boffins said the first windy episode will hit on Thursday night into Friday – and Dublin can expect to be impacted.
He explained: “Southerly winds bringing some locally strong gusts to coastal areas of the west, south and east of the country with some disruption to services possible. The strongest winds will reach up to 100km/h.”
Met Eireann said conditions will be mostly dry in Dublin on Thursday night before a wet and breezy rain extends from the southwest.
The weather bosses warned that the rain will be heavy in places, with localised flooding possible, but pinpointed the south as the expected worst-hit area.
The forecaster said: “The rain will be accompanied by strong and gusty southerly winds. Temperatures will not fall below 7C to 10C.”
Met Eireann said Friday will be another wet and breezy morning with widespread rain resulting in spot flooding.
But the forecaster confirmed that Dublin will dry up early on as the rain starts to clear eastwards in the morning and early afternoon with sunny spells and scattered showers following.
Met Eireann confirmed that there will be a chance of isolated thunderstorms and said temperatures will reach their highest that day between 10C and 13C.
Cathal Nolan from Ireland’s Weather Channel confirmed that the second bout of powerful wind will hit Ireland late on Saturday night and remain into Sunday morning.
Dublin is not likely to be hit as hard as other areas of the country during the second bout of weather, it has been confirmed.
Nolan said: “The second windy episode occurs late Saturday night into Sunday when an Atlantic storm passes close by the northwest coast of Ireland.
“This storm depression will bring wind speeds widely across the west and northwest of the country up to 100km/h, with localised gusts approaching 120km/h likely in exposed locations from Ceann Mhása to Mizen Head and on to Fair Head.”
FULL LIST OF STORM NAMES 2024/25
THE Irish meteorological service, along with the national weather services of the UK and the Netherlands, each contributed seven names to list of storm names for this season.
The new storms list runs from early September until late August the following year, coinciding with the beginning of autumn.
The system of naming storms was first launched in 2015 so that the communication of severe weather is easier.
And Met Eireann’s contributions were taken from a list of more than 500 suggestions by primary school children participating in ESB Science Blast last February.
Ireland contributed the names Conall, Darragh, Hugo, Izzy, Naoise, Poppy and Vivienne.
Letters Q, U, X, Y, Z are not included, which is in line with the US National Hurricane Centre naming convention.
The full list for 2024/25 is:
- Ashley
- Bert
- Conall
- Darragh
- Eowyn
- Floris
- Gerben
- Hugo
- Izzy
- James
- Kayleigh
- Lewis
- Mavis
- Naoise
- Otje
- Poppy
- Rafi
- Sayuri
- Tilly
- Vivienne
- Wren
Met Eireann said wet and “rather windy” conditions will move in from the west on Saturday night.
Dublin will remain dry at first but rain will become widespread in the morning as temperatures reach their lowest between 6C and 9C.
Looking towards Sunday, Met Eireann warned that it will be “rather windy” with strong to near gale force and gusty southwest winds, reaching gale force at the coast.
The forecaster said: “Heavy rain which may lead to spot flooding along Atlantic coastal counties will clear eastwards in the morning and early afternoon with sunny spells and scattered showers following. Highest temperatures of 11C to 14C.”
Heavy winds will make an impact on Sunday[/caption]
The wind will be stronger in the west[/caption]
