Red rain alert issued for Cork and Galway as Storm Bert set to hit island

A status red rain warning has been issued for two counties in Ireland as Storm Bert is expected to hit the island this weekend.

The warning will be in effect for Galway and Cork on Saturday from midnight to 10am.

Several snow, wind and rain warnings have been issued for the island, with a risk of flooding and difficult driving conditions in most counties from Friday night until Saturday afternoon.

After a cold snap during the week that created challenging road conditions in several parts of the country, people are now being asked to be aware of more hazards on the road this weekend.

Sleet and snow are possible in the north and north west overnight on Friday, forecaster Met Eireann said, as the storm tracks north west.

Flooding and gusty winds are the greater risk on Saturday, but will ease off in the mid-afternoon before more heavy rain moves in from the west.

The red rain warnings for Cork and Galway say some of the heaviest rainfall is expected in west Cork.

Severe flooding, damage to homes and businesses, and dangerous road conditions are possible in those counties, Met Eireann warned.

A status orange rain warning is in place for the same time period for counties Waterford, Kerry, Clare, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim, creating a risk of river flooding, very difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility.

Met Eireann has also issued a wind and rain warning for most other counties from 10pm on Friday until midday on Saturday, and a snow-ice, rain and wind warning for Donegal for 12 hours from midnight.

In Northern Ireland, a yellow alert for rain and snow is in place across the region from midnight until 11am on Saturday, while a wind warning is in place until Saturday evening.