Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow rainfall warning for five counties in the south of the country with localised flooding possible in places.

Issued at 10:00am this morning (Tuesday, December 22), the alert will be valid from 3:00pm this afternoon through to 9:00am tomorrow morning.

The warning will affect counties Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford.

In these counties, the national meteorological office warns that heavy rain at times may cause some localised flooding. Rainfall totals generally will be around 30-40mm, with these higher in mountainous areas.

For today in general, Met Éireann says that rain will soon spread in across the southwest and extend across much of Munster and south of Leinster during this afternoon. Elsewhere, it’ll remain largely dry with sunny spells and isolated showers.

A cold day is in store, with highest temperatures of 4° to 7° in mostly light winds, but a freshening northeast breeze will develop in the south later.

Tonight will see outbreaks of rain extend across much of Munster, Connacht and Leinster but Ulster looks set to remain largely dry with just a few showers.

As the night progresses the rain will turn increasingly to sleet or snow on high ground in Munster. Minimum temperatures of 0° to 4° are forecast in freshening northeasterly winds.

Tomorrow will get off to a wet and windy start for Leinster and Munster, with a clearance to sunny spells and isolated showers in Connacht and Ulster slowly making its way southeastwards during the afternoon.

The last of the rain, however, will not clear southeastern counties until after dark, Met Éireann concludes.