In brief
Status Orange rain warnings covered Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Wicklow, Wexford and Dublin. The Cork, Kerry and Waterford warning ended at 5am on Friday, 23 October, while the Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow warning ran until 8am.
Around 3,000 homes, farms and businesses were without electricity at 7am on Friday, 23 October. ESB Networks said crews had been deployed in all affected areas.
Met Éireann senior forecaster Gerry Murphy said areas under orange warnings could see between 40mm and 60mm of rain, which he said would make flooding likely.
Storm Boelo is due to bring heavy rain on Saturday, 24 October, and Sunday, 25 October. The UK Met Office's yellow wind warning for Northern Ireland runs from 6pm on Saturday to 3pm on Sunday, with gusts of 50 to 60mph.
- 23 OctAround 3,000 homes, farms and businesses without electricity
- 23 OctOrange warning for Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow ends
- 23 OctStatus Yellow warning for Leinster and Munster ends
Warnings across the island
Storm Austen, the first named storm of the season, pushed intense rain across Ireland overnight into Friday, 23 October. The alerts started on Thursday, 22 October, when a Status Yellow rain and wind warning took effect at 7pm for Leinster and Munster. Later that evening an orange warning came into force for Cork, Kerry and Waterford, running from 10pm until 5am. A separate orange warning covered Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow from 2am to 8am on Friday, while the yellow alert for Leinster and Munster stays in place until 10am. Met Éireann flagged very difficult travel conditions, possible disruption to public transport and the risk of flooding.
Flood and travel risk
Met Éireann expects river levels to rise across a long list of counties, including Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Tipperary, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wexford, Wicklow, Kildare, Laois, Offaly and Dublin. Senior Forecaster Gerry Murphy said the flooding potential linked to fallen leaves and blocked drains is substantial. He added that water levels in some areas are lower than in winter, because the country is still in autumn after a dry summer. Murphy put the rainfall in numbers for the most exposed areas.
“You could be talking anywhere between 40mm and 60mm of rain in those areas with an orange rain warning, which means flooding will be likely.”
The heaviest rain is forecast overnight along the east coast from 2am to 8am, and Murphy warned that rush hour could bring floods to many roads. Households were advised to secure bins and garden furniture and to make sure they can reach essential supplies. Motorists were told to avoid driving through flooded roads.
Power cuts and emergency response
Around 3,000 homes, farms and businesses had no electricity at 7am on Friday. ESB Networks said crews had been sent to every affected area to restore supply where it was safe to work. Councils prepared for river and coastal flooding, and road users were warned about fallen trees and debris during the morning commute. Transport delays were likely in the worst-hit areas on Friday morning. Keith Leonard of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management said the National Severe Weather and Flood Coordination Group would meet daily over the coming days. He stressed the workload ahead.
“local response teams will be very busy throughout the bank holiday weekend”
Storm Boelo and the weekend
Storm Boelo is set to follow Austen over the weekend, bringing heavy rain on Saturday, 24 October, and Sunday, 25 October. Northern parts of the island are forecast to be hit harder by that separate weather front. Murphy warned that rain will continue through the weekend with little relief, and he said blustery conditions are expected for Sunday's Dublin marathon. A yellow wind alert from the UK Met Office covers Northern Ireland between 6pm on Saturday and 3pm on Sunday. Forecasters expect gusts of 50 to 60mph, rising to 65 to 75mph in exposed areas. The UK Met Office also said the UK would see the worst wind impacts from Storm Austen.