Ireland weather latest: Storm Ciaran's 'rapid development' overnight is bad news for Ireland

Storm Ciaran looks set to pass a little closer to Ireland than previously thought on Tuesday as new models show the horrid weather system undergoing "rapid development."

That's according to weather expert Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather who has been studying the storm since last week.

Alan said "airmass satellite animation from EUMETSAT showing Storm Ciarán undergoing rapid development over the last 12 hours. Latest weather model updates show a little move North which increases risk of over 20mm in parts of South and Southeast."

Airmass satellite animation from @eumetsat showing #StormCiarán undergoing rapid development over the last 12 hours. Latest weather model updates show a little move North which increases risk of over 20mm in parts of South and Southeast. pic.twitter.com/VFRXPcNyMB

— Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) November 1, 2023

Conditions are already atrocious in coastal counties with Storm Ciaran still swirling out in the Atlantic.

Alan added that we've already seen "torrential rain in parts of the West with strong winds as system moves North with sunny spells further South. Then we can see Storm Ciarán developing out in the Atlantic as he begins to take shape before passing South of us tonight [Wednesday].

Met Éireann has already issued a series of warning ahead of Storm Ciaran.

The first is a Status Yellow wind warning for Clare, Kerry and Galway that predicts "strong and very gusty westerly winds, accompanied by squally showers."

Possible impacts include "difficult travelling conditions and wave overtopping" in those counties between the hours of the warning from 5am on Wednesday to 11am on Wednesday.

The first warning related directly to Storm Ciaran a Status Yellow rain warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork and Waterford.

"Further rainfall associated with Storm Ciarán, combined with saturated ground conditions and high river levels, may lead to flooding," Met Éireann said.

This warning is valid from 7pm on Wednesday to 7am on Thursday. Localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions is likely in the affected counties.

In its general forecast, Met Éireann says: "Windy today in fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds. Scattered outbreaks of rain, heavy and squally in places will mostly become confined to Ulster during this afternoon with sunshine and well scattered showers following. Highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees. Winds will back southwest and ease for a time this evening.

"This evening or early tonight, rather wet and rather windy weather, associated with Storm Ciaran, will move into southern counties, later clipping eastern counties too. Fresh to strong and gusty northerly winds will gradually develop in these areas. Generally dry, calm and clear elsewhere with some frost or local ice across the north. Some mist and fog also. Lowest temperatures of 1 to 5 degrees."

The worst of the bad weather will clear on Thursday morning: "Any lingering rain across eastern fringes will clear early Thursday morning. Sunny spells and scattered showers will follow for the rest of the day, some heavy across west and southwest counties. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees in moderate to fresh northwest winds."