Met Éireann has just issued a status yellow warning for 12 counties

Met Éireann has just issued a status yellow warning for 12 counties.

The warning is valid from 4 am this morning, Thursday 12 March until 6 pm tonight and relates to Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Dublin, Louth, Wicklow, Meath, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo and Clare. Met Éireann advises:

"Southwest winds veering west to northwest will reach mean wind speeds of 50 to 65km/h and gusts of 80 to 110km/h. "Due to a combination of waves, spring tides and surge, the possibility of coastal flooding is increased along western and northwestern coasts on Thursday".

Wind Warning. Level: Yellow Valid from 4am Thursday to 6pm Thursday.https://t.co/ozrQHtoOkt pic.twitter.com/hEfBm6NVAD

— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) March 12, 2020

A status orange wind warning is in place for Donegal and Mayo from 7am until 12pm today. A status orange gale warning is also in place.

"West to southwest winds will reach gale force 8 or strong gale force 9 today on all Irish Coastal Waters and on the Irish Sea. Winds will occasionally reach storm force 10 this morning on Irish Coastal Waters from Slyne Head to Erris Head to Malin Head".

At the moment, the outlook for the weekend's weather across the country is "remaining changeable and unsettled". Friday will see "mostly dry conditions will develop elsewhere with clear spells and patches of mist and fog. Lowest temperatures of 2 to 5 degrees in light to moderate south to southwest winds". It will be in dry in most areas on Saturday morning, "but rain will move into western areas during the morning and spread eastwards throughout the day, with some heavy falls possible, particularly in the west".