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Coastal flooding possible as warnings issued for west

The forecaster issued a Status Yellow rain and wind warning for eight counties on the west coast (File image)
The forecaster issued a Status Yellow rain and wind warning for eight counties on the west coast (File image)

A Status Yellow rain and wind warning has been issued for seven counties.

The warning for counties Clare, Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo is in effect until 6am tomorrow.

Met Éireann is warning of possible power outages and hazardous travelling conditions.

The forecaster also warned a combination of spring tides, large waves and strong winds may result in some coastal and localised flooding.

Another Status Yellow rainfall warning for Donegal, Leitrim, north Mayo and Sligo comes into effect at 6am tomorrow, running until 9pm.

And at 2am Saturday a Status Yellow wind warning comes into effect for Cork, Kerry, Waterford and Wexford.

Met Éireann said southerly winds will increase strong to gale force and gusty.

These onshore winds coupled with high spring tides will lead to some coastal flooding, the forecaster said.

This warning expires at noon on Saturday.

Weather damage 'minimal' in Cork and Kerry

The impact of wet and windy weather has not been as great as expected in Cork and Kerry.

Damage in both counties from Storm Gerrit has been minimal with reports of some fallen trees and surface water flooding.

Speaking to RTÉ News, Director of Services with Cork County Council Niall Healy said there were 13 calls to the council about "trees down all over the county".

He said: "The primary impact seems to relate to wind damage. There are 13 trees down tight across the county - both along coastal areas and further inland as well."

"Fallen trees and fallen debris is the primary impact," Mr Healy said.

He said the damage was not as great as expected.

"We have some reports of surface water flooding on roads but no reports of any damaged property. It seems to have been fallen trees, fallen debris and some surface water damage," he added.

The fallout from the weather is also limited in Co Kerry, according to the local council.

A spokesperson for Kerry County Council said the county had also escaped without any major damage from the weather.

They said there were no reports of major incidents or road closures.

The spokesperson added that a weather warning remains in place until 6am tomorrow and the council "will continue to be on standby during today and respond as necessary".

Meanwhile, ESB repair crews are continuing to restore electricity in a small number of areas throughout the country.

Hundreds of homes in Waterford, Cork and Clare were without power after windy weather.

"Local outages are being dealt with by crews at a local level," an ESB spokesperson said.

Additional reporting Cian McCormack