Ireland weather: Met Eireann updates rare double warning to include more counties

Heavy rain and gusty winds are expected for the four counties until late in the evening

Met Éireann has extended its weather warning to include another two counties as Ireland braces for an onslaught of rain throughout the day.

The national forecaster extended its Status Yellow - Rain and Wind warning to include Louth and Meath along with Dublin and Wicklow. The warning, which has been active from 9am on Thursday morning, will remain in effect until 8pm this evening.

Issuing the warning, Met Éireann wrote: "Rain, heavy at times, coupled with gusty winds, strongest near the coasts and on higher ground."

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Potential impacts of the weather warning include spot flooding along with traffic delays and/or disruption.

Meanwhile, the UK Met Office issued a Yellow - Rain Warning for Antrim, Armagh, and Down which has been active since Wednesday evening, and will remain in effect until Thursday at midday.

The forecaster warned that heavy rain may lead to some flooding and transport disruption in places throughout the duration of the warning.

Overall, Thursday will be dull and wet as rain in the northeast and east extends across most of the country. The rain will be heavy at times, particularly in eastern parts of Leinster, and may cause spot flooding. It will become windy with fresh to strong and gusty northerly winds, strongest on Irish Sea coasts. Highest temperatures of 9C to 13C.

The heavy and persistent rain will gradually clear southwards through the evening but it will remain rather cloudy. Fresh to strong and gusty northerly winds will gradually ease too with lowest temperatures of 4C to 7C.

Friday will see a rather cloudy start with a good scattering of showers drifting down from the north. Some sunny spells will develop later in the afternoon as the northerly breeze weakens. Highest temperatures of 10C to 13C.

It will turn rather cool with a fresh northerly breeze on Friday night. Quite cloudy too with a few showers drifting down over Ireland but it should stay mostly dry across the southern half of the country. Lowest temperatures of 2C to 6C.

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