Marine warning for northwest and north

Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow marine warning for the seas off Ireland’s northwest and north coast, following a night of stong winds and heavy rain that swept across the country.

The warning, issued this morning, cautions that westerly winds will reach force 6 or higher — posing a hazard to small vessels.

The warning covers the coastal waters from Slyne Head to Bloody Foreland to Strangford Lough, and remains in effect from midday today until midnight tonight.

The advisory comes in the wake of Ireland’s strongest winds in more than three months, which battered the country on Monday evening and overnight. An intense Atlantic system moved in from the west, bringing widespread heavy rain and damaging gusts.

The most severe winds were recorded at Mace Head, Co Galway, where gusts reached 100 km/h — the highest wind speed recorded in Ireland since February 20th, when Valentia Observatory clocked a 109 km/h gust.