Ireland’s National Severe Weather and Flood Coordination Group is continuing to meet as Storm Boelo approaches, with orange wind and rain warnings in place for parts of the country over the Bank Holiday weekend. Local authority severe-weather assessment teams remain activated and are preparing to respond where needed.
The weather service issued its assessment on Friday 23 October. It says Storm Boelo is expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds and coastal hazards from Saturday into Sunday. The warning areas and timings may be revised as forecasts develop, so conditions will not necessarily be the same in every location within them.
Orange warnings cover northwest winds and Kerry rain
An orange wind warning covers Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo from 2pm on Saturday 24 October until 9am on Sunday 25 October. Gale-force westerly winds and severe gusts are forecast, particularly along western and northwestern coasts. The stated risks include fallen trees, damage to power lines, difficult travel, large waves and coastal flooding where winds are onshore.
Kerry is under an orange rain warning from 7am until 2pm on Saturday. Heavy rain is forecast to create a risk of flooding and disruption, with homes, businesses and transport among the areas that could be affected. Yellow rain warnings also cover Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo and Sligo from 4am to 3pm on Saturday.
Separate yellow wind warnings apply across Connacht, Clare, Kerry and Limerick from 1pm on Saturday until noon on Sunday. Donegal has a yellow warning from 1pm on Saturday to 3pm on Sunday. These periods overlap in places with the higher orange warning, but the warnings describe forecast conditions and potential impacts rather than a confirmed record of disruption.
Saturated ground raises flood concerns
Further rain is expected to fall on ground already saturated after Storm Austen. The weather service forecasts rapid run-off and rising river levels, with a higher risk of surface-water and river flooding in the west and southwest. Small upland and urban rivers may respond quickly, while larger rivers can continue to rise after rain has eased.
Attention is also focused on the coast. A high-tide advisory for Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal runs from 3pm on Saturday until 7am on Sunday. Strong onshore winds, high tides, storm surge and large waves could combine to cause wave overtopping and coastal flooding. Higher sea levels may also slow river discharge in low-lying estuarine areas.
Emergency teams and power network prepare
The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management has convened the coordination group as the storm nears. It says local authority assessment teams, which were activated during Storm Austen, are making preparations for the weekend and will be ready to respond in affected areas. The group is scheduled to continue meeting through the weekend.
ESB Networks has advised customers to prepare for possible power outages and to keep essential supplies available. The company says people should not touch or approach fallen electricity wires, which should be treated as live, and should report them to its emergency service. It also directs customers to its outage and restoration updates if faults develop.
The notices do not provide a final account of the storm’s effects. They set out the expected hazards before the strongest forecast conditions arrive. Another area of low pressure is also forecast to track north of Ireland on Bank Holiday Monday, bringing the potential for a further period of wet and windy weather after Boelo clears.
