stay safe Met Éireann issues Status Yellow 100km/h wind and rain weather warnings for five counties

Met Éireann has issued two separate Status Yellow wind and rain warnings for five counties.

The wind warning covering counties Donegal, Galway and Mayo comes into force at 3pm on Friday and is valid until midnight.

The forecaster predicts that there will be strong south or southwest winds gusting up to 100km/h.

A Status Yellow rain warning has also been issued for counties Cork, Kerry and Galway.

The warning will come into effect at 6pm on Friday and is valid until 6am Saturday.

Met Éireann said heavy rain will bring a possibility of flooding in these counties.

This morning will be a mainly dry and bright start for most. Cloud will build from the west through the morning with rain moving in by midday, which will slowly spread eastwards across the country through the day.

It will become increasingly windy too, with southerly winds increasing fresh to strong and gusty with gales developing on Atlantic coasts. Highest temperatures of 5C to 9C, coldest in Ulster.

Tonight will be a wet and windy night with widespread rain and strong and gusty southerly winds, reaching near gale force along western coasts.

The rain will be persistent in parts of the west bringing a risk of localised flooding. Temperatures will increase overnight to between 6C and 9C. A clearance to scattered showers will move into the west towards dawn.

Saturday will be a breezy day with outbreaks of rain in the southeast clearing to widespread blustery showers through the morning, with some heavy bursts in places.

Some sunny spells will occur also with the showers becoming isolated towards evening. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees in fresh and gusty southwest winds.

On Saturday night, showers will become confined to western coasts early in the night with some clear intervals developing.

Later in the night, rain will push in from the south, affecting much of Munster, south Leinster and south Connacht by dawn. Lowest temperatures of 4C to 6C. Fresh southwest winds will moderate overnight.

Some uncertainty in the forecast for Sunday but it looks like outbreaks of rain will move up over the country with some heavy bursts in places.

The rain looks set to clear northwards in the evening with scattered showers to follow. Highest temperatures of 7C to 10C with moderate north to northwesterly winds.