Atlantic Storm Watch 2014: February/March

Though I'd rather some weather like today ( sunny and crisp ) for a good few days at this stage ....

Sure have to say that this next storm is a BEAUTY on Sat!

how long is this likely to last?

Wind definitely starting to pick up here sth side Cork city..gone from very calm to howling around the chimney...could this be the start of the big one ?:)

A 1200 update from Met Eireann

Dry in many areas at first with some bright or sunny spells. Heavy rain accompanied by strong to gale force Southeast winds will move in to Munster and South Leinster this afternoon and will spread countrywide this evening. Further flooding is likely to occur, especially in exposed coastal counties of the South and Southeast at times of the high tides. Some severe gusts are likely on exposed coasts also. Top temperatures will range 5 to 9 C.
Tonight

It will be extremely windy and blustery for much of tonight, with the winds moderating later. There will be further heavy rain or thundery showers also, with some further flooding in places, especially on the east coast during the early hours at the time of the high tides. Lowest temperatures will range 3 to 5 degrees.


Tomorrow

Very showery tomorrow, Wednesday, with some heavy, prolonged and sometimes thundery showers at times. Some further local spot flooding is possible. Strong West to Northwest winds will affect the West and South of the country but winds will be lighter elsewhere. Top temperatures of 6 to 9 C.

Outlook

General : Cold, changeable weather, with occasional showers and frosty conditions at night. But late Friday, Friday night and Saturday will be extremely windy and very wet too, with a risk of some stormy weather developing.
Cold, windy and showery for much of Wednesday night, with some hail at times. Lowest temperatures zero to plus 3 C., with some frost around dawn.
Thursday will be a cool, breezy day with fresh and gusty southwest winds. Some bright or sunny spells, but some rain hail or sleet showers at times too. Top temperatures of just 4 to 7 C. Cold overnight with slack winds and just isolated wintry showers. Lowest temperatures -1 to plus 2 C., with a sharp frost and some icy patches.
Friday will start off cool and bright, with sunny spells and just a few showers. Highs of 5 to 7 C., are expected. But present indications suggest that an extremely windy and very wet period of weather, will sweep in off the Atlantic late in the day and overnight. Saturday looks like being an extremely windy, blustery day, with further rain or showers too, heavy at times. Some severe gusts are possible and there is an ongoing risk of some flooding in this period.
Sunday looks like being a cold, windy day, with occasional showers, a few possibly wintry.

Oh dear I expect a LOT of flooding tonight and tomorrow

One bit of good news for Cork is that it looks like the strongest winds will have moved to the east/southeast coasts by the time of high tide in Cork city tonight.

And winds now beginning to pick up in the south ,Sherkin and Kinsale with a gust of 39kts and Valentia 35kts.

Wind just beginning to pick up here in Wexford and a very squally shower just passed by. Sun is back out now though.

Villain wrote: »

Oh dear I expect a LOT of flooding tonight and tomorrow

The focus is (understandably) on coastal flooding on the east coast, but with the land so saturated and the rainfall forecast, flooding must be an issue for any of the rivers and streams fed from the Wicklow Mountains? Actually in my back yard, water has been running off the grass into the paved area the last week or so during rainfall as it is.

zerks wrote: »

I'm here in Enniscorthy,it's low tide and the river is running very high,it would take very little rain to flood the town,not a sandbag in sight.Over Xmas there were loads left around to be used but we escaped the worst of it as the storms were more focused along the West,this time with this neck of the woods in the firing line there seems to be zero preparation.Of course we'll see the usual handwringing & get soundbites from councillors as once more the town is innundated with water.

Starting to cloud over here already after blue skies earlier.

I'm also very familiar with Enniscorthy and would fear the worst as regards a flooding event. High tide in Wexford Harbour is at 22.02 with Enniscorthy being the furthest point of its tidal reach about 1 hour 20 later. I would expect Wensdesdays higher tide at 10.25 (11.45 approx. in Enniscorthy) to be of more concern as rainfall from upstream Slaney areas of Carlow/Wicklow reach town although the SE wind may not be as bad then. In general a flood event in Enniscorthy is maybe 12/18 hours behind major rainfall events upstream.

Just in general terms while the council definitely have their responsibilities to protect premises a little bit of a more proactive response from business owners in flood prone areas wouldn't go amiss. I could probably name now the commercial premises that will be affected by flooding on both sides of the Slaney quays in Enniscorthy (barring a very serious flood event). If I owned one of these premises I wouldn't be waiting for the council to provide me with sandbags when I have 12/18 hours warning.

Finally Enniscorthy is very lucky to have large, undeveloped flood plains both north and south of the town which allows countless million litres of water to inundate these areas with no threat to the public.

And finally, finally http://www.wexfordharbour.info/ is a great resource for weather info in Wexford harbour area including wind/pressure/tides etc. if anyone is interested.

Good luck to everyone in the south and east, looks like we will have a little respite here in the west although we will get something. Please take care and don't take any chances like this eejit http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/news/5421477/Floody-moron-Toddlers-close-call-on-reckless-day-out.html

Remember no matter how well you think you know the sea always respect it.

MichealD wrote: »

I'm also very familiar with Enniscorthy and would fear the worst as regards a flooding event. High tide in Wexford Harbour is at 22.02 with Enniscorthy being the furthest point of its tidal reach about 1 hour 20 later. I would expect Wensdesdays higher tide at 10.25 (11.45 approx. in Enniscorthy) to be of more concern as rainfall from upstream Slaney areas of Carlow/Wicklow reach town although the SE wind may not be as bad then. In general a flood event in Enniscorthy is maybe 12/18 hours behind major rainfall events upstream.

Just in general terms while the council definitely have their responsibilities to protect premises a little bit of a more proactive response from business owners in flood prone areas wouldn't go amiss. I could probably name now the commercial premises that will be affected by flooding on both sides of the Slaney quays in Enniscorthy (barring a very serious flood event). If I owned one of these premises I wouldn't be waiting for the council to provide me with sandbags when I have 12/18 hours warning.

Finally Enniscorthy is very lucky to have large, undeveloped flood plains both north and south of the town which allows countless million litres of water to inundate these areas with no threat to the public.

And finally, finally http://www.wexfordharbour.info/ is a great resource for weather info in Wexford harbour area including wind/pressure/tides etc. if anyone is interested.

The Council are monitoring how this develops and will take action,my point was that over Xmas they had everything in place but we got lucky.This time I doubt the town will escape as the river is so high already.
You are right about the businesses being more pro-active,if I owned a shop along the river I'd have flood barriers installed and a stock of sandbags stored & ready to use.
The first rain has started to fall here now.