A weather alert issued for Galway by Met Eireann has been upgraded to Status Orange as Storm Gareth hits the west coast.
People are advised to take care this evening as Storm Gareth is expected to bring winds 80km/hr with gusts of 110 to 130km/hr.
There’s also a risk of coastal flooding as gale force winds coincide with high seas.
Galway had previously been included in the yellow warning covering all of Ireland issued on Monday, but the alert was upgraded Met Eireann at 4:56pm today to reflect worsening conditions.
The orange alert will remain in effect until 9am on Wednesday morning.
Chief Executive of Galway city Brendan McGrath told councillors at yesterday’s council meeting that road crews would be on standby during the alert to deal with any flooding that arises.
Met Eireann is advising people to stay away from any exposed coastline or high places while the orange alert remain in effect.
The orange weather warning was issued yesterday to cover Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo, and Sligo, and has been expanded today to include Galway.
The yellow warning for the rest of Ireland warns of sustained winds reaching 65km/hr and gusts of up to 110km/hr during Storm Gareth.
Motorists are being advised to take care if they’re out this evening, with Gardaí warning that high sided vehicles and motorbikes are particularly vulnerable to strong winds.
AA Roadwatch is also urging people to be on the lookout for wind blown debris on the roads and to give any cyclists and motorbikes a wide berth.
