With clean-up crews now assessing and managing the damage caused by Storm Austen last night, forecasters are stressing that the public must be prepared for another onslaught.

Yesterday’s storm saw as much as 40 mm of rainfall in some parts of the country, with crews now responding to reports of localised flooding and fallen trees. 

However, forecasters have stressed that with Storm Boelo just around the corner, the worst of the weather conditions may be yet to come. 

Last night saw a status yellow rain warning across the country while counties like Cork, Kerry, Waterford, Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow were all placed under status orange warnings. 

The bad weather saw much of the country battered by rain, with ESB Networks receiving around 3,000 reports of homes, farms and businesses left without power. 

Speaking on the response, Sinead Murphy, Director of Operations at Fingal County Council, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland: ‘Overnight, we had three crews on the ground on call, as always, and we’ve had limited contact from members of the public.’ 

However, she did admit the contact they did have with the public ‘was related to swollen streams and some localized flooding, which we understand is now receding.’ 

‘The crews are still out and about facing the situation on the ground, and they’ll continue to do that through the day and through the rest of the evening,’ she added. 

Meanwhile, Brian Henley, senior engineer in Dublin City Council’s Flood Defense Project Division, explained to the programme that their preparations paid off despite the heavy bouts of rain. 

He said: ‘We had a lot of crews out last night. 30 mil of rainfall across the city, but it was higher out in the northern mountains. There was probably up near 40 mil.

‘But we feel the rainfall will ease now. It’s forecast to ease over the next few hours before clearing the way up.’ 

While experts have said that the rain will clear up by roughly 12 today, they have urged the public to remain prepared as Storm Boleo is set to hit this weekend. 

Met Éireann’s Andrew Doran Sherlock told Newstalk: ‘Tonight will have rain moving in from the west and that’ll be quite heavy, especially in the south-west and west of the country. But it will become quite widespread.

‘It will come with strengthening southerly winds, so turning rather windy, but it’s more so that the strongest winds are expected more so in the north-west of the country tomorrow evening into and overnight.

‘So we would anticipate warnings being issued later this morning for that.’