Storm Austen: Multiple weather warnings in effect as intense rain hits Ireland

Main Points

• A status-yellow rain and wind warning for Leinster and Munster is in force until 10am on Friday due to Storm Austen.
• Wicklow, Wexford and Dublin have a status orange rain warning in place until 8am on Friday.
• Met Éireann warned commuters of very difficult travelling conditions, possible disruption to public transport and possible flooding.
• An orange warning for counties Waterford, Cork and Kerry was lifted at 5am on Friday.
• The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management has also warned of potential flooding and difficult travel conditions due to Storm Austen.

Key Reads

• As it happened: Friday’s live coverage of Storm Austen weather warnings
• Storm Austen: Council staff on industrial action to carry out emergency work as needed
• Is Ireland ready for a monster El Nino?

Disruption to some Bus Éireann services amid storm

Storm Austen’s expected impact on public transport services has begun with some Bus Éireann routes being cancelled on Friday morning.

The bus service has warned commuters that its 7.07am Kells to Dublin service, route 109, has been cancelled due to an “incident”.

Some scheduled trips on its route NV2 have also been cancelled, the bus service said.

“Please be advised that Storm Austen may cause disruptions to our services across the Southeast and Eastern regions,” Bus Éireann has said.

“Customers are advised to allow extra time for their journeys and stay tuned for further updates.”

A separate non-storm warning is in place regarding Route 101 due to roadworks on the R132 in Swords, and delays are expected.

‘Intense rain’ in Wicklow, Wexford & Dublin amid orange warning

A status orange rain warning came into affect in Wicklow, Wexford and Dublin at 2am early this morning and runs until 8am.

Counties Waterford, Cork and Kerry had an orange warning for rain in place from 10pm on Thursday, but that ceased at 5am on Friday.

The east coast was forecast to be pummelled by “intense rain” associated with Storm Austen this morning.

Met Éireann, the national forecaster, has warned that flooding expected is expected from Wexford to Dublin, with “very difficult travelling conditions” likely to be in place.

It has also cautioned that disruption and delays to public transport are likely.

More widely, a status yellow rain and wind warning is in place for all counties in Leinster and Munster until 10am on Friday, with flooding possible, and some fallen trees and branches expected.

Storm Austen hit Ireland’s south coast last night

The first storm of the year hit Ireland’s south coast late on Thursday evening, bringing heavy rain in Munster and south Leinster, which later spread into Connacht and the rest of Leinster.

Amid warnings of localised flooding in Munster and Leinster, Keith Leonard, head of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management, said “local response teams will be very busy throughout the bank holiday weekend”.

The storm is named after Austen H Nagle, an Englishman from Birmingham who was the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service (IMS), now Met Éireann, in 1936.

Storm Austen will be followed by followed by Storm Boelo on Saturday.

Boelo is set to coincide with high tides, increasing the risk of flooding from high waves and storm surges, particularly along the west and northwest coasts.