Met Éireann issue fresh weather warning for 15 counties

Met Éireann have issued a fresh weather warning for 15 counties.

The status yellow rainfall warning comes into effect at 8pm on Sunday, February 23 and will end at 8am on Sunday, February 24. It covers Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Longford, Louth, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Clare and Tipperary. According to Met Éireann, there will be rain on Sunday night and into Monday morning  - which will lead to accumulations of between 20 to 25mm quite widely, with higher totals possible in upland areas.

Status Yellow - Rainfall Warning for Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Longford, Louth, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Clare and Tipperary

More information here: https://t.co/juduxcKda8 pic.twitter.com/VuHqMqiqDB

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 22, 2020

The rain is likely to be preceded by a period of snow in parts of Connacht, Ulster and north Leinster, before turning to rain later in the night. The weather forecaster warned that the combined effect of rainfall and snow melt may lead to some localised surface and river flooding. Looking towards the rest of the forecast, the rain will become widespread on Sunday night, falling as sleet and snow in the north initially but turning to rain as the night goes on. Temperatures will be as low as zero or 1C in the early part of the night in the north, but will rise to 10C or 11C through the night as strengthening southeast winds veer southwest and bring milder air over the country. Rain will clear early on Monday morning, with showers following. The westerly winds will be very strong through Ulster with showers there turning wintry. Day time temperatures of 7C to 9C early on will fall quickly through the afternoon and will bottom out at plus 1 or 2 degrees overnight Monday night. Tuesday will be a very cold day throughout with a freshening southwest to west wind. Showers will be wintry all along western coastal counties, carrying further east at times on the strong breeze. Wednesday will be less cold but still with fresh westerly winds backing southerly later. Wintry showers in the west will ease and there'll be a spell of more persistent rain overnight.