Bank holiday washout: Met Éireann issues orange weather warning for heavy rain

Tomas Doherty

Met Éireann has issued an orange weather warning for three coastal counties as it forecasts heavy and persistent rain on bank holiday Monday.

The national weather agency said heavy downpours will be coupled with strong and gusty winds in Mayo, Donegal and Galway on Monday morning.

There is a risk of localised flooding, damage to temporary structures, difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility, forecasters said.

The status-orange warning will be in place in the three counties from 12am until 10am on bank holiday Monday.

A separate yellow warning for rain is in place for Connacht, Donegal and Clare for 24 hours from 1pm on Sunday.

Met Éireann forecaster Aoife Kealy said a broad area of low pressure in the north Atlantic is causing the unsettled conditions.

“This low pressure system will drag a warm, moist airmass with it from the mid-Atlantic. That warm, moisture-laden air will act like fuel for this system, meaning the rain that it brings will be heavy.”

She added: “With the bank holiday weekend, more people will be out and about and they may not expect the unseasonably wet weather and strong winds. Sunday will not start off too bad but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security.

“The rain will get progressively heavier through the afternoon and evening with those southerly winds picking up, so make sure to check the forecast and any warnings for your area before heading out.”