Parts of Munster and Leinster are on alert for Storm Claudia, with heavy rain and flooding expected. Met Eireann has issued advice on how to prepare for the severe weather
Storm Claudia is set to batter Ireland this weekend, with millions bracing for severe weather warnings across thirteen counties.
Met Éireann has issued a stark warning to households to prepare a 9-item emergency kit as the storm looms.
The tempest is expected to hit from Friday morning, drenching southern and eastern areas with torrential rain for up to 24 hours, according to the Irish Mirror.
Named earlier in the week by the Spanish met service, Storm Claudia will bring heavy downpours to already saturated ground and swollen rivers, heightening the risk of significant flooding.
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Forecasters are urging residents to be proactive and prepare for potential flooding, reports Cork Beo.
Cork is on a 24-hour Status Yellow alert from 9am on Friday, until 9am on Saturday.
The Be Winter Ready campaign advises those in high-risk areas to have a flood plan in place and to prepare an ’emergency’ kit in advance.
Met Eireann’s recommended household emergency kit should include nine key items to help cope with flooding or power loss.
The guidance explains: “If you do live in an area at risk of flooding, you may be able to lessen the impact of a flood by taking the time to prepare in advance. Make a flood plan for your family or business so that everyone knows what to do and where to go in the event of a flood. Make up a flood kit and ensure that everyone knows where to find it. Practice your flood plan. Ensure that everyone knows what has to be done and what is safe.”
Additional crucial flood preparation recommendations from the weather service include memorising emergency contact numbers and maintaining a physical list within reach.
It’s also vital to keep important paperwork, including passports and insurance documents, in waterproof storage to shield them from harm.
Create an inventory of your most precious belongings and ensure you know precisely where they’re located so you can relocate them swiftly if required. Get to know how to turn off your gas and electricity supplies.
Where possible, arrange beforehand a secure location where you can relocate your vehicle, should time permit.
Finally, maintain any essential medicines within easy reach to guarantee they’re available during a crisis. Following a week of earlier weather alerts and deluges, particularly across high-risk areas of Munster, there’s a danger of severe flooding in numerous regions once more.
Meteorologist Liz Walsh explained: “It’s going to rain a lot over parts of Leinster and Munster tomorrow while it’ll stay largely dry for many parts of Connacht and Ulster. This rain is brought to us by a weather front derived from Storm Claudia, named earlier in the week by the Spanish met service, and it will fall on already saturated ground and swollen rivers, intensifying the likelihood of significant flooding across Leinster and Munster.
“Coupled with the rain, the northeasterly direction of the wind is expected to bring compound impacts in eastern coastal counties, allowing the rain to essentially ‘pack up’ against the high ground in these counties. Some large accumulations of rain are expected and that’s why we have issued an orange rain warning. We ask people to be cautious, avoid unnecessary travel as it can be hazardous and with poor visibility, and to stay updated on our website or app, signing up to warnings notifications.”