Met Éireann have issued a status orange weather warning for eight counties as Storm Atiyah nears

Another weather warning has been issued for 18 counties.

Met Éireann have issued a status orange weather warning for eight counties as Storm Atiyah nears Ireland. The status orange wind warning covers Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Kerry and Limerick from Sunday, December 8 at 9am until Monday, December 9 at 6am. The weather forecaster have said that Storm Atiyah will track between Iceland and Ireland on Sunday generating a swathe of very strong winds across the country. Southwesterly winds later veering northwesterly will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80 km/h with gusts from 110 to 130km/h. Due to a combination of high seas and storm surge there is a possibility of coastal flooding in some areas. A second weather warning has been issued for Cavan, Monaghan, Roscommon, Cork, Tipperary, Waterford, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow. The status yellow wind warning comes into effect at 3pm on Sunday, December 8 and lasts until Monday, December 9 at 6am. "Storm Atiyah will track between Iceland and Ireland on Sunday generating a swathe of very strong winds across the country," a Met Éireann spokesperson said about the two warnings. "Southwest winds later veering northwesterly will reach mean speeds of 50 to 60 km/h with gusts of up to 100 km/h."