Met Eireann issues Status Orange wind warning for the west

Met Eireann has issued a Status Orange wind warning for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork and Kerry.

Issued this morning (Tuesday, January 16) at 10:00am, the warning will be in effect from 3:00pm this afternoon until 3:00am tomorrow morning.

According to Met Eireann, this evening and for a time tonight, Storm Fionn will bring very strong westerly winds to Atlantic coastal counties with mean wind speeds of 65kph to 80kph – and gusts of up to 120kph – with winds expected to be strongest near coasts. There is also a risk of flooding.

Meanwhile, an updated Status Yellow wind warning has been announced for Leinster as well as counties Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

Today and tonight these counties will experience westerly winds, reaching mean winds speeds of 55kph to 65kph – with gusts of 90kph to 110kph – Met Eireann warns.

Finally, a Status Yellow snow-ice warning remains in place for the entire country. Issued yesterday evening, the warning came into effect at 11:00pm last night and will last until 3:00pm tomorrow morning.

Some accumulations of snow are likely – especially in northern and western areas and over hills elsewhere – along with some slippery conditions, according to the meteorology office.