Deirdre O Meara 
Met Eireann has issued a warning of heavy downpours, gale-force winds, hail, and thunderstorms in Ireland for the entire week. The national forecaster has also alerted the public of a risk of “Orange to Red level” winds in some parts of the country. The HARMONIE model of Met Eireann’s latest information shows the severity of the situation. Alan O’Reilly, Carlow Weather forecaster, said, “Latest Met Eireann HARMONIE ensembles show over 40mm of rain possible in parts off the Southwest in 24 hrs from 11 am today. They also show a risk of Orange to Red level winds in the Southwest tomorrow morning. A rough 2 days ahead!”
Currently, there is a Status Yellow wind warning in place for Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Meath, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork, and Waterford from 3 pm until 9 pm today. Met Eireann has warned that “very strong gusts” will cause some disruption in the afternoon and evening. The UK Met Office has also issued a yellow wind alert for Antrim and Down.
According to Met Eireann’s forecast for the next couple of days, it will be dry and bright in many places, but rain in the southwest will spread northwards and become widespread by early afternoon. Heavy downpours in some areas are expected during the afternoon and evening. A clearance to showers will follow later into Connacht and Munster. It will be blustery with moderate to fresh southerly winds veering west. It will turn windy later this afternoon and evening in parts of the east, south, and midlands with strong and gusty winds developing for a time. The highest temperatures will be between 7 to 11 degrees.
Tonight, it will be blustery with moderate to fresh southwesterly winds, very strong along Atlantic coasts, and later becoming very windy in the south. Rain will clear the northeast early tonight to clear spells and scattered heavy showers with possible hail. Isolated thunderstorms are also possible. Outbreaks of heavy rain will spread from the west overnight. The lowest temperatures will be between 0 to 4 degrees.
On Wednesday, it will be very windy with very strong and gusty northwest winds and gales in Atlantic coastal areas. Mostly cloudy with spells of rain, heavy at times with local downpours. Rain will become confined to the northeast later with brighter weather and scattered showers developing elsewhere. The highest temperatures will be between 6 to 10 degrees.
On Wednesday night, strong northwest winds will ease to a light or moderate westerly breeze. Winds will remain fresh in Ulster where rain will continue, but elsewhere it will be clearer with occasional showers. The lowest temperatures will range from 0 in the south to 5 in the north.
