Status yellow thunderstorm warning extended to 14 counties
Met Éireann has extended a status yellow warning for thunder and lightning as far north as Ulster.
Slow-moving storm clusters are bringing heavy rain and some hail along with thunder and lightning until 10pm tonight.
The original warning for all of Munster has now been extended to Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wicklow, Offaly, Monaghan and Galway.
Forecasters are warning there is also a risk of flooding in those counties.
Localised heavy downpours & slow-moving thunderstorms for a time this evening with some hail, mainly over the Southern half of the country with a few further north. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/veAjakd8b1
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) May 9, 2020
Status yellow thunderstorm warning in place for Munster
A status yellow thunderstorm warning is in place for Munster until 10pm.
Met Éireann says there is a chance of downpours as well as lightning in parts.
Forecaster Deirdre Lowe says more inland areas of the province will experience the brunt of the thunderstorms.
"There's clumps of thunderstorms and they are brewing up and becoming more intense throughout the course of the afternoon with the high temperatures and sunshine that we are experiencing at the moment," said Ms Lowe.
"The air is very unstable so there will be localised downpours, some lightning activity and thunder between now and 10pm this evening.
"It is mainly over Munster."
Please see below thunderstorm activity, mostly over Munster this afternoon. ⛈️
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) May 9, 2020
Lightning strikes, when they occur, are displayed as a cross. Initially they are red but change to orange and then yellow after a period, then disappear.
For more info visit: https://t.co/YJqxvBBwTs pic.twitter.com/3ot01s5fmU
Ms Lowe said that it will be inland areas that are mostly hit with coastal areas set to miss the worst.
This is because temperatures inland tend to get hotter.
"Parts of Munster through the rest of the day but it's not really a coastal effect, it's where the temperatures are higher and Munster is experiencing the best of the temperatures today."
