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31st October 2023
06:23pm GMT
A Status Yellow rainfall warning has been issued by Met Éireann for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork and Waterford as Storm Ciarán is set to hit Ireland on Wednesday, November 1.
The national forecaster said the warnings involved "further rainfall associated with Storm Ciarán, combined with saturated ground conditions & high river levels may lead to flooding."
The warning is valid from 7pm on Wednesday, Nov 1 to 7am on Thursday, Nov 2.
A Yellow rainfall warning is also in place for Kerry, valid from from 12pm Tuesday, Oct 31 to 12pm on Wednesday, Nov 1. The warning highlights the risk of localised flooding, difficult travel conditions and poor visibility.
Status Yellow - Rain warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow Cork Waterford
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 31, 2023
Further rainfall associated with Storm Ciarán, combined with saturated ground conditions & high river levels may lead to flooding
Valid: 19:00 Wednesday 01/11/2023 to 07:00 Thursday 02/11/2023 pic.twitter.com/T4QPjioFlM
Storm Ciarán is set to pass close to the south coast of Ireland on Wednesday, November 1st, with Met Éireann reporting that it will bring "heavy rain and strong winds".
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Met Éireann Meteorologist Linda Hughes said: "So, rain has moved into the southwest already, so there is going to be wet weather across the country. It is going move northeastwards through today, tonight, tomorrow morning, so there is going to be wet weather right throughout that..."
She said that was a different low-pressure system tracking to the northwest of Ireland, but Storm Ciarán would track to the south of Ireland. "We are actually escaping the worst of the storm. It is going to impact the south of England and parts of France much more than us.
"It is going to bring some more rainfall into the south and southeast from tomorrow evening and into early Thursday morning, so there is Yellow rain warnings out for the south and southeast for that period."
The Northern Irish city of Newry has been subject to major flooding today as its canal burst its banks overnight.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Eamonn Connolly, Manager of Newry's Business Improvement District organisation, said parts of Newry look like "a lake".
Newry flooding update 3pm pic.twitter.com/6gwUqPmbje
— conor macauley (@TVconormac) October 31, 2023
"It has been a long night, it has certainly been unprecedented. Part of Newry looks like a lake. It literally is inaccessible unless by boat.
"And the canal and the river are at maximum capacity. Now, we have a full tide at the moment, which makes us nervous, but thankfully it is not raining at present."
Dozens of buildings and businesses have been affected by the flooding as PSNI urged people to avoid Newry city centre.
There have also been reports of flooding in Carlingford, Co Louth, as water streamed down from the nearby mountains.
This article originally appeared on Joe.ie