Storm Jorge is set to bring another weekend of heavy winds and rain to the already embattled Galway where flooding has gripped the county.
Two weather warnings have been issued by Met Eireann covering Galway for Storm Jorge, a status yellow rainfall warning, and a status orange wind alert.
The yellow rainfall warning for Connacht, Munster, and Donegal came into effect at midnight and will remain in place throughout Friday and Saturday.
Rainfall accumulations of 20-30mm are expected overall, but this could reach as high as 50mm in mountainous areas the forecaster warned.
A status orange wind warning for Galway, Mayo, Clare, and Kerry will come into force at 6am on Saturday and remain until 3am the following morning.
Winds of 65-80km/hr can be expected throughout the day, with gusts reaching up to 30km/hr, and possibly even higher in exposed areas.
These winds will start southwesterly, but quickly veer west and later northwest during the day.
The city council Severe Weather Assessment team met on Thursday after the orange warning was issued.
Council road crews will be on standby from 2pm on Saturday to deal with any flooding or other issues.
The weather assessment team will continue to monitor Storm Jorge over the weekend, and further measures may be put in place.
The county council issues a warning this morning of potentially extremely dangerous driving conditions due to “ice and surface water flooding in many areas, having significant impacts on road conditions.”
“Drivers need to take extreme care and be conscious of cyclists and pedestrians,” the council said.
Galway has been dealing with extreme flooding in recent days after Storms Ciara and Dennis were followed by days on end of heavy rain.
With up to 30mm of rain expected to fall over the course of Saturday and Sunday, Storm Jorge could severely exacerbate this issue.
Met Eireann has warned that the rain will bring a “continuing risk of flooding due to already saturated ground and elevated river levels”.
Storm Jorge is an Atlantic Storm named by the Spanish meteorological service which is tracking northeast towards Ireland and will pass over the north of the country on Saturday.
People are being advised to expect widespread power outages on Saturday caused by storm damage
