Weather advisory issued with expected accumulations of 50mm

Met Éireann has issued a weather advisory for 15 counties which will come into place over the coming days due to high expected levels of rainfall.

The advisory will affect counties: Galway; Roscommon; Mayo; Sligo; Leitrim; Longford; Offaly; Westmeath; Cavan; Donegal; Clare; Cork; Kerry; Limerick; and Tipperary.

It will be valid from 12:00pm tomorrow, Saturday, March 7, through to 6:00pm on Tuesday, March 10.

In these counties, Met Éireann warns that there will be periods of heavy rainfall from tomorrow to Tuesday, which may lead to some local flooding as river levels remain elevated.

The heaviest of the rain will be through tomorrow afternoon, and again early Monday and early Tuesday, with rainfall accumulations from tomorrow to Tuesday of 40 to 50mm in places, with some spot flooding, the national meteorological office warns.

There will be strong winds at times also, with gales on coasts, the forecaster noted.]

For the country in general, tonight will be dry and clear in the east at first but thickening cloud in the west will extend countrywide overnight.

Patchy outbreaks of rain and drizzle will spread eastwards across the country later tonight.

Minimum temperatures tonight will range from 0° to 4°.

Tomorrow, Saturday, will be a mild, windy and mostly cloudy day. Eastern areas will see a good deal of dry weather through to the early afternoon on Saturday with some limited bright or sunny breaks occurring, and just the odd patch of light rain or drizzle.

Further west, patchy rain and drizzle will turn persistent with occasionally heavy rain in the afternoon.

The rain in western areas will spread to all areas in the late afternoon and evening with highest temperatures of 10° to 12°.

Rain will be widespread for a time early tomorrow night, but a transition to clear spells and showers will soon extend from the west.