Dennis the Menace on his way

Met Éireann has issued a Status Yellow rain and wind warning for the entire country as Storm Dennis brings wet and very windy weather over the weekend and into Monday.

In a statement the metrological service said: “Storm Dennis (as named by the UK Met Office), is currently undergoing rapid cyclogenesis in the Western Atlantic. While staying to the northwest of Ireland Storm Dennis will produce some wet and windy weather over Ireland this weekend.”

A wind warning is in place from 3.00am tomorrow until 8.00pm while a rain warning is in place from 6.00am tomorrow until 9.00pm. It is anticipated that winds of around 65km/h are forecast with gusts up to 100km/h.

Met Éireann also said there will be spells of heavy rain with some localised thundery rain, which will lead to some flooding: “The ongoing battle between warm air over the south central Atlantic and a cold pool over much of Eastern Canada has led to a strong level baroclinic zone fuelling a powerful jet aloft with several waves tracking across the Atlantic. The lead wave of the two has been the driving force for this first deep low ~933hpa currently tracking northwestly and occluding south of Iceland.”

The Met Office say tomorrow will be wet and very windy. Outbreaks of heavy rain will extend nationwide during the morning accompanied by strong to gale force southerly winds. There is a risk of localised flooding. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees.