Update:
Monday, 10.20am
The N85 Ennis to Ennistymon road which was closed after the River Inagh burst its banks reopened this morning. A number of other areas along the route also flooded on Sunday.
Fire crews from Ennistymon were called to assist a motorist who became trapped in a car in floodwaters at Ballyea, Inagh while another a car left the road and crashed into a flooded field.
A Status Yellow wind warning remains in place in Co Clare.
Update:
Sunday, 10.20am
*The Cliffs of Moher visitor centre will remain closed until 12.30pm. Management are warning of dangerous conditions at the cliffs.
*Severe flooding at several locations on the Ennis to Ennistymon N85 route
*Flooding outside Lidl and Auburn Lodge Hotel on Gort Road in Ennis
Saturday, 10.05pm
A Ryanair flight from Wroclaw, Poland has diverted to Shannon because of high winds in Cork. Winds at Cork are reported to be gusting to 46 knots (85 km/h) while at Shannon at 10.10pm, 33 knots (61 km/h) but expected to increase overnight.
Saturday, 7.56pm
Aer Lingus flights EI-384 and EI-385 to and from London Heathrow tomorrow have been cancelled due to the weather. Aer Lingus will be in contact with passengers directly regarding refunds or alternative flight options.
⚠️Storm Notice⚠️
Storm Ciara Orange Alert: Passengers please check your flight status with your airline before travelling to the airport.
Further updates during the day on social & website https://t.co/XSA1TWNRJd Orange wind warning is valid till 12:00hrs Sunday.
Thank you 😀 pic.twitter.com/RpX28tt2kY— Shannon Airport (@ShannonAirport) February 8, 2020
Saturday, 12.45pm
Met Éireann has updated the wind warning for Clare to Status Orange while a Status Yellow alert is also in place for the county.
The weather service has said, Storm Ciara will produce very strong southwest winds with mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h and gusts generally up to 130km/h.
A combination of Spring Tides and high seas as well as stormy conditions will result in a significant risk of coastal flooding especially along western and northwestern coasts.
The warning, issued today at 11.00am, is valid from 5.00am tomorrow (Sunday) until midday.
Clare County Council is advising members of the public of a status yellow wind and rainfall warning for Ireland issued by Met Éireann.
The wind warning is effective from 9.00am on Saturday 8th February to midnight on Sunday 9th February with southerly winds strengthening during Saturday reaching mean speeds of 50-65km/h with gusts reaching 90-110km/h.
The rainfall warning is effective from 12.00 noon on Saturday 8th February to 1.00pm on Sunday 9th February with 20-40mm of rainfall expected, highest in the west and northwest.
Storm Ciara (named by the UK Met Office) will produce very strong winds over Ireland on Sunday with a risk of damaging gusts.
Breaking waves along the coast can be unpredictable and quickly drag you away. 🌊
Stay Back, Stay High & Stay Dry! 👍
Do not approach breaking waves. 🚫
If you see someone in difficulty in the sea or on the shore dial 999/112 & ask for Coast Guard.#StormCiara #IrishCoastGuard pic.twitter.com/8v70kiy6JA
— Irish Coast Guard (@IrishCoastGuard) February 8, 2020
Over the weekend the combination of Spring Tides and high seas as well as stormy conditions will result in an elevated risk of coastal flooding especially along southern, western and northwestern coasts. There is also a risk of localised flooding this weekend, especially over the western half of the country.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA), is also asking road users to exercise caution while using the roads over the weekend as Met Eireann has issued Orange and Yellow weather warnings for strong winds and heavy rain.
There is a significant risk of coastal flooding due to the combination of high spring tides and storm surge. Road users in areas affected by the Orange Warnings are advised to check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out on a journey.
The following advice is being given to road users
Motorists
Control of a vehicle may be affected by strong cross winds. High sided vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to strong winds.
Beware of objects being blown onto the road. Expect road conditions to change quickly in high winds so reduce your speed.
Watch out for falling/fallen debris on the road and vehicles veering across the road.
Drivers should allow extra space between themselves and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and motorcyclists as they may be blown off course by strong winds.
Drivers need to slow down in wet weather conditions, especially on high speed roads such as dual carriageways and motorways where there is increased danger of aquaplaning.
If the road ahead is flooded choose another route, do not attempt to drive through it. Flooded roads that appear shallow could be deeper than you think. They may also have trees or branches that have fallen that may not be visible.
Road users should always follow recommended routes and obey signs closing roads to traffic.
After going through water, drive slowly with your foot on the brake pedal for a short distance – this helps to dry the brakes.
Drive with dipped headlights at all times.
Advice to Pedestrians, Cyclists and motorcyclists
Visibility and light is reduced in poor weather conditions. Keep safe by making sure you can be seen. Wear bright clothing with reflective armbands or a reflective belt.
Take extra care when crossing the road or cycling in extremely windy conditions as a sudden gust of wind could blow you into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
Walk on a footpath, where possible and not in the street. If there is a footpath and it is safe to use, look out for falling debris from above, especially in urban areas.
Walk on the right-hand side of the road, facing traffic if there are no footpaths.
Cyclist should ensure that they and their bike are visible to other road users by investing in a good set of front and rear lights (white at the front, red at the back) and by wearing clothes that help you be seen on your bike such as bright and light reflective items.
For advice on severe weather driving tips, please see severe weather advice on the RSA website or check out the RSA Facebook and Twitter pages.
Please also see our severe weather warning videos created in collaboration with Teresa Mannion here. See advice with advice for driving in strong winds here.
For more weather updates, visit Met Eireann’s website: www.met.ie