Status Yellow Warnings for northwest and marine areas

Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow rain warning for counties Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo.

The alert, valid until 5 p.m. today, warns of further heavy showers or longer spells of rain. Drivers should expect difficult travelling conditions, poor visibility and the risk of localised flooding.

Mariners are also being advised to take caution. Westerly winds reaching force 6 or higher have prompted a Small Craft warning for all coasts, valid until 12.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

In addition, gale-force winds are expected in parts of the Irish Sea. Status Yellow gale warnings are in place from Strangford Lough to Dungarvan, Rossan Point, Howth Head and Carnsore Point. Gusts of up to force 8 are possible at times, with warnings valid at various periods up to Tuesday.

Looking ahead, southeasterly winds veering southwesterly are expected to reach force 6 or higher from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 6 p.m. Wednesday, prompting another Small Craft warning for all coasts of Ireland.

Met Éireann advises the public and mariners to exercise caution and monitor the latest forecasts.

Meanwhile, Ireland has experienced its windiest day since February, with Mace Head in Connemara recording a gust of 108 km/h overnight.

The coastal station also reported a sustained mean wind speed of 79 km/h, with the peak gust of 108 km/h (58 knots) recorded at 1am.

It marks the strongest gust observed in Ireland since Valentia Observatory in Co Kerry logged a 59-knot (109 km/h) gust on February 20th. The same low-pressure system that generated the strong winds also brought heavy rainfall on Sunday, with Valentia reporting just over an inch of rain.