Met Éireann has expanded its weather warnings for heavy rain and potential travel difficulties as Storm Chandra approaches.
The national forecaster extended its status yellow rain warning for Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow, adding counties Carlow, Kilkenny and Louth, with its status yellow warning rain now applying from midnight to 11pm on Tuesday.
The national weather forecaster has also issued a status yellow wind warning for Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Dublin, Louth, Wexford and Wicklow from 5am to 11pm on Tuesday.
Met Éireann said winds associated with Storm Chandra are expected to be “very strong and gusty particularly about the coasts and along exposed areas.”
The forecaster has warned people to expect fallen trees and loose debris with possible wave overtopping along coasts and to expect travel disruptions.
In Northern Ireland, the Met Office has also expanded its weather warnings to include a status yellow wind and rain warning from midnight Tuesday to 11.59pm Tuesday. The UK Met Office has also issued an amber wind warning for Antrim, Down and Derry valid from 5am on Tuesday to 9pm Tuesday.
In its detailed forecast for the week ahead, Met Éireann said Monday would be “dull, wet and breezy” as rain becomes widespread throughout the morning.
A clearance is expected to develop in the southwest and west Monday afternoon, with the rain giving way to sunny spells and the occasional shower. But it will remain dull and wet elsewhere. Highest temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees, mildest in the southwest. Moderate to fresh, occasionally strong, winds are expected to veer light southwesterly or variable as the rain clears.
Met Éireann said an “unsettled week” ahead is set to bring further rain and showers over the coming days and into next weekend, as low pressure continues to dominate our weather, Met Éireann has said.
Wednesday should see some early bright spells in the north but overall, rather cloudy with further showers or longer spells of rain feeding up from the south in mostly moderate to fresh south-easterly winds. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees.
Thursday is expected to be another rather cloudy day with further showers or longer spells of rain. Some limited brighter intervals could occur. Highest temperatures of 6 to 10 degrees in light to moderate southeast to east winds, fresher further north.
The weekend offers little change, with the chance of showers or longer spells of rain persisting across most areas as low pressure continues to dominate.