A number of weather alerts issued for the Bank Holiday weekend have been updated as Storm Antoni threatens to put a dampener on the long weekend.
A status yellow rain warning for Friday has been extended to include all of Connacht, Clare and Tipperary. The alert will take effect at 8pm and last until 8am on Saturday.
A second yellow warning for rain will commence at 11pm on Friday night, covering all of Leinster, Monaghan and Cavan until 10am on Saturday.
Heavy rain will impact much of the country overnight, with Met Éireann warning of possible spot flooding, poor visibility and difficult travel conditions.
A third warning, a yellow alert for wind, will come into force for Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Wexford during the early hours of Saturday, lasting from 4am to midday.
#StormAntoni has been named and is forecast to bring unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain to the UK on Saturday
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/ilyBMhrWFV
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 4, 2023
The alerts come as Storm Antoni brings wet and blustery conditions to Ireland and the UK.
The UK Met Office has also issued a yellow rain warning for Northern Ireland, lasting from midnight to 11am on Saturday.
Road users are being urged to be particularly cautious this weekend due to poor driving conditions.
Ahead of the long weekend, the Road Safety Authority said the first six months of 2023 recorded the highest number of road deaths in six years.
So far this year, 100 people have died on the roads, representing 11 more deaths compared to the same period of 2022.
#Weather for the afternoon☔️
Turning cloudy this afternoon with outbreaks of rain developing in the west & southwest☁️?️
The rain will spread eastwards across the country this evening & tonight, with some heavy falls & spot flooding possible later?️☔️
Highs of 15 to 18°C?️ pic.twitter.com/pIUBtCN5Y1
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) August 4, 2023
Over the August Bank Holiday last year, two people were killed in road traffic collisions, the RSA added.
Drivers are being urged to slow down and be mindful of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
"People socialising over the weekend are urged to leave theirs car at home and plan ahead to ensure they get home safely," the RSA urged.
"Most drink-driving offences occur the morning after, therefore drivers are reminded not to drive the morning after a night out. It is important to wait until you are safe to drive the morning after drinking, as you may still be over the legal limit and risk losing your licence and a fine, or worse."
Over the weekend, the RSA has also partnered with Applegreen service stations to offer free cups of coffee to drivers to help them to stay alert while travelling. The offer will be available from 2pm to 8pm on Friday and Monday.
By Muireann Duffy
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