Thunderstorm warning for three Munster counties
Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow thunderstorm warning for Cork, Kerry and Limerick, with hazardous driving conditions possible on Monday.
The warning, valid from 9am to 6pm, highlights the risk of lightning damage, localised flooding, difficult travelling conditions and potential power outages.
The alert follows a weekend of intense weather across the southwest. Fierce thunderstorms were reported in parts of Kerry and west Clare on Saturday, where extensive lightning strikes left hundreds of homes without power.
Looking further ahead, plenty of dry weather is expected up to and including Friday, with temperatures remaining above average in most parts of the country.
Beyond that, attention turns to the Atlantic. Hurricane Erin, currently a Category 5 storm in the Caribbean, is forecast to track northwards and may influence weather patterns across northwest Europe late next week.
While the storm will not reach Ireland as a hurricane, its remnants could steer fresher and more unsettled conditions towards the country. However, considerable uncertainty remains about the system’s exact track and its interaction with the jet stream.
