Met Éireann issues nationwide weather warning as Storm Austen set to batter Ireland
Storm Austen is set to bring strong winds and very heavy rain on Thursday
The first named storm of the season is set to bring heavy rainfall across the country, with flooding and travel disruption possible.
Met Éireann has issued a nationwide weather warning as Storm Austen prepares to unleash heavy rain across Ireland later this week.
The first named storm of the 2026/2027 season is expected to bring a spell of unsettled weather, with the national forecaster warning of potentially hazardous conditions in all counties.
A Status Yellow rain warning has been issued for the entire country from 7pm on Thursday, October 22, until 8am on Friday, October 23.
According to Met Éireann, heavy rain associated with Storm Austen will spread eastwards across Ireland, bringing the risk of localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions. Outdoor events could also be impacted by the deteriorating weather.
The nationwide warning comes as Ireland faces an increasingly unsettled spell in the lead-up to the October bank holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, a separate Status Yellow rain warning has been issued for Dublin and Wicklow, coming into effect at 1am on Wednesday, October 21, and remaining in place until 8am.
The warning also highlights the possibility of localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions.
The unsettled conditions are expected to continue into the weekend, with further spells of rain and strong winds forecast.
Friday will be blustery, with a mixture of sunshine and showers accompanied by moderate to fresh northwesterly winds.
However, conditions are expected to deteriorate again on Friday night as another band of rain moves in from the west, spreading eastwards across the country by Saturday morning.
Saturday is forecast to begin wet across Ireland before the rain gradually clears eastwards, leaving showers in its wake.
It is also expected to become very windy, with strong and gusty westerly winds.
Sunday will bring a cooler, breezy day with sunny spells and scattered showers, while fresh and gusty westerly winds are expected to persist.
Storm Austen is the first named storm of the 2026/2027 storm season, which officially began on September 1.
The storm is named after Austen H Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service when he was appointed in 1936.
His is one of several names selected by Met Éireann to recognise figures associated with the organisation's history as it celebrates its 90th anniversary.
Storms are named by Met Éireann, the UK's Met Office and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute when they are expected to cause potentially significant impacts in one or more of the three countries.
Members of the public are advised to keep up to date with the latest weather forecasts and warnings as conditions develop throughout the week.