Published on : Wednesday, October 10, 2018
A weather system, expected to be named Storm Callum today, has been brewing to the north west, near Newfoundland, and will hit Ireland tomorrow night.
The people have been urged to prepare for severe weather heading into the weekend as the effects of Hurricane Leslie, which is further to the south, will also be felt. Last night, Met Éireann updated its weather warning to yellow across the country, with risks of damaging gusts, especially along the west and northwest coast.
There are also risks of coastal flooding, and the warning is in place from 11pm tomorrow until 9pm on Saturday. Met Éireann forecaster Deirdre Lowe said strong winds would be followed by a period of heavy rain sweeping up from the south east, with the possibility of flooding.
Deirdre Lowe said that they have not named it yet, but it’s likely that it will be named.
The weather system will initially have the greatest impact on the west of the country and then move north, however all of the country will be hit. After the worst of the wind has swept the country, the tail-end of Hurricane Leslie will bring rainfall, raising the prospect of coastal and river flooding.
However, she stressed that the weather system was still developing and it will be today before there is more certainty of what will happen. The official warnings will be issued in line with those forecasts, Ms Lowe added. So far, a yellow advisory has been issued which is valid from 11pm on Thursday until 9pm on Saturday. Galway City Council’s weather assessment team met on Monday to assess the approaching storm. A spokesperson said the western county was experiencing a period of “very high astronomical spring tides”. The weather systems will come after a period of unseasonably warm weather.
The mercury reached upwards of 20 degree C yesterday, with temperatures expected to remain around the same level today. At the end of the weekend, the forecast for Sunday is for a cooler and fresher day with scattered showers and sunny spells.