Met Éireann has issued a status yellow wind and rain warning for Clare and a number of other counties as Storm Francis moves in over the country tonight.
Weather warnings in place for strong winds and heavy rainfall from Monday evening into Tuesday. The public are advised to exercise caution on exposed areas including along the coast.
As consequence of Storm Francis moving into the South West, Met Éireann are forecasting that weather will turn very wet and windy early this evening with some torrential downpours and possible flooding.
This weather is forecasted to continue into Tuesday as Storm Francis crosses the country with further heavy falls of rain and the continued risk of flooding.
Very windy or stormy conditions are expected on Tuesday and southwest winds veering westerly, reaching mean speeds of 55 to 65km/h, will bring widespread severe gusts of 90 to 110km/h. Some disruption is likely with possible structural damage.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.