Heavy rain and strong northeasterly winds are forecast to affect much of Ireland on Friday as Storm Claudia brings further unsettled weather to the country.

The event, expected to last about 24 hours until midday on Saturday, will be most severe across parts of Leinster and Munster where Met Éireann has issued orange and yellow rainfall warnings and a yellow wind warning.

The rain is expected to fall on already saturated ground following a series of wet days earlier this week. Several weather stations, including Athenry, Roches Point, Cork Airport and Sherkin Island, have already recorded more than their average rainfall for the month of November.

Met Éireann said up to 70 millimetres of rain could fall on higher ground in Dublin and Wicklow, with 30 to 35 millimetres likely elsewhere in the east and south. Winds will gust between 70 and 85 km/h across Munster and Leinster, with lighter conditions further north.

Meteorologist Liz Walsh said rain will be the main feature of the event as a weather front linked to Storm Claudia moves northwards over the country. “It’s going to rain a lot over parts of Leinster and Munster tomorrow while it’ll stay largely dry for many parts of Connacht and Ulster,” she said. “This rain will fall on already saturated ground and swollen rivers, intensifying the likelihood of significant flooding.”

She said the northeasterly winds could worsen impacts in eastern coastal counties by forcing rain to build up against high ground.

Met Éireann warned that river and surface flooding is expected in Leinster and Munster on Friday and into the weekend. Intense rainfall could also overwhelm urban drainage systems, leading to hazardous travel conditions and poor visibility.

The forecaster said the orange-level rain warnings are not expected to be escalated further but may be updated as new model data becomes available.

Met Éireann has issued a Status Orange rain warning for Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford from 2pm on Friday until 11am on Saturday. The forecaster said significant accumulations, particularly on high ground, may lead to flooding and hazardous travel conditions.

Status Yellow rain warnings are also in place for Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford from 9am Friday to 9am Saturday, and for Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Louth, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow from 11am Friday to 11am Saturday.

A Status Yellow wind warning has been issued for Dublin, Louth, Wexford and Wicklow, where strong and gusty northeasterly winds are expected from midday Friday until early Saturday morning.

A marine warning is also in effect, with northeast to east winds reaching gale force 8 and occasionally strong gale force 9 in the Irish Sea. Small craft and gale warnings remain in place for all coastal waters from early Friday through to Saturday morning.

Storm Claudia was named earlier this week by the Spanish meteorological agency AEMET for the wind and rain it brought to the Canary Islands and Iberia. The storm has been influencing Ireland’s weather all week, sending a succession of rain bands northwards.

The frontal zone associated with the storm is expected to stall over the country before high pressure from Greenland brings cooler and more settled conditions early next week.

Authorities are urging the public to stay away from flooded rivers, avoid unnecessary travel and monitor updates on met.ie and through official channels. The ESB is also warning of the dangers posed by fallen power lines and is asking the public to report any incidents to 1800 372 999.