A Status Yellow Rain Warning remains in effect until 5pm today for Waterford and six other counties, as persistent and heavy rain continues to affect the south and southwest of the country.

Meteorologist Cathal Nolan of Ireland’s Weather Channel says the unsettled conditions mark the beginning of what could be a prolonged spell of wet weather, with rainfall amounts expected to remain well above average over the coming week to ten days.

“Unfortunately, it looks like the start of what’s going to be a fairly unrelenting couple of weeks for rain in these parts,” Nolan said. “We’re expecting a number of low-pressure systems moving in from the southwest and essentially stalling across the region, bringing heavy and at times persistent falls of rain.”

The first of those systems moved through overnight and will continue to bring steady and, at times, heavy rainfall through much of today, potentially delivering 40 to 50 millimetres in some areas within a 24-hour period.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was upgraded to a Status Orange warning, especially for parts of west Waterford,” Nolan added. “That’s where we’ll likely see the heaviest of the rain — in and around the Comeragh Mountains, as is often the case.”

With saturated ground after several weeks of above-average rainfall, the risk of localised flooding remains high. “Any additional rainfall now is falling on already saturated land, and with rivers running high, that does increase the likelihood of flooding in some areas,” Nolan explained.

Conditions are expected to remain unsettled through the rest of the week, with another low-pressure system forecast to bring further heavy rain from Thursday through Saturday.

Despite the ongoing wet weather, temperatures are milder than usual for this time of year — though a shift is expected later in the weekend.

“By Sunday, we should start to see high pressure building to the north and northwest, which will pull in colder air from the Arctic,” Nolan said. “That will bring drier and brighter weather across the southern half of the country, but also a significant drop in temperatures and the potential for frost and icy conditions.”

Motorists are being urged to drive with caution over the coming days, as surface water and reduced visibility will make conditions difficult, particularly on rural routes.

“Road conditions will be challenging at times,” Nolan warned. “Drivers should slow down, allow extra time for journeys, and prepare for frost and ice as we move into next week.”

While some brief dry spells may appear between weather systems, overall the forecast remains wet and unsettled for much of the country.

“It looks like the weather will be making headlines for the next while — not just at the end of the news, but throughout it,” Nolan added.

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