Downpours from tail end of Hurricane Gert to last into the week

THE tail end of Hurricane Gert struck Ireland with a glancing blow, but its effects will be felt well into this week.

At one point yesterday, 5mm of rain fell within a period of just 15 minutes in Co Kerry.

The downpour came as one of the first manifestations of the yellow weather warning due to last into the middle of this week.

The warning said there would be heavy, thundery spells of rain, with accumulations of 30mm to 50mm in mountain areas.

Forecasters said the effects of Gert would be mostly felt in Connacht, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Wicklow, Offaly, Westmeath, Meath, Clare and North Tipperary.

Met Éireann said the weather would continue to be warm and humid for the next few days.

Today will be humid, with conditions likely to give rise to thundery downpours and the risk of flash flooding.

Parts of Leinster and Munster will see temperatures in the mid-20s with some hazy sunshine, while elsewhere they will range from 18C-21C.

It will be warm overnight and conditions will be mostly unchanged during the day on Tuesday, with temperatures hitting the mid-20s in sunny spells.

There will be a risk of low visibility in coastal and hill areas due to patchy rain, drizzle and fog. There is a risk of thunder despite clear spells developing in the evening and night.

The outlook for Wednesday indicated a bright and fresh day with sunny spells. The mixed weather will continue to the weekend.