Status Orange weather warning issued for 12 counties ahead of arrival of Storm Francis

Batten down the hatches…

Met Éireann has issued a Status Orange weather warning for 12 counties ahead of the arrival of Storm Francis and accompanying “intense rainfall” on Monday night and into Tuesday. Having issued a Status Yellow rainfall warning for the entire Republic of Ireland early on Monday morning, Met Éireann has now upgraded the warning to Status Orange for 12 counties: Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Wexford, Cork, Kerry and Waterford. Storm Francis, Met Éireann says, will bring “intense rainfall” at times on Monday night and Tuesday, leading to accumulations of 40-60mm, with higher values in mountainous areas. https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/1297843600101957638 The most intense rainfall is expected to ease off in southern counties during Tuesday morning, while some flash flooding is likely in affected areas. This rainfall will further elevate river levels and may also result in river flooding. The Status Orange warning is valid from 9pm on Monday to 5pm on Tuesday. Met Éireann, meanwhile, has also issued a separate Status Yellow rainfall warning for Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Wicklow, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary, valid from 9pm on Monday to 9pm on Tuesday. A Status Yellow wind warning also applies to all six counties in Munster, as well as Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow from 6am to 7pm on Tuesday. The UK Met Office, meanwhile, has also issued a Status Yellow rainfall warning for all six counties in Northern Ireland, which comes into effect at 12am on Tuesday and will remain in place until 6am on Wednesday. Some start to the last week of summer on the weather front…