Andrew Carey
andrew@limerickpost.ie
2014 is set to begin as blustery and wet as last year ended after Met Eireann continued a weather alert amid gales and localised flooding as part of a weather front set to last the first week of the New Year.
High winds, to gale force seven are expected to swing south to south west over the next 24 hours and bring with it more heavy rain.
Parts of Limerick and county are at risk of further flooding as motorists are warned of potential black ice in the coming days as surface water remains and temperatures drop.
Elsewhere, Iarnrod Eireann reports a landslide on the line at Waterford train station means there is no services between Waterford and Thomastown or Waterford and Carrick-on-Suir.
Forecasters say that there is an active weather system pushing up from the south-west, bringing very wet and windy weather.
Areas in Dublin have deployed flood defences, including sand bags, at strategic locations and more information is available at www.flooding.ie
Met Eireann said that given the “highly changeable” and often wet conditions, river flooding is likely in many areas as some lands are already heavily waterlogged.
A yellow weather warning remains in places as the public are urged to take care amid the adverse weather.
2013 brought some record breaking weather numbers.
30.3 was the hottest temperature recorded in Ardfert in Kerry.
3.1 was the average temperature for the month of March.
18.6m was the highest wave recorded at Kinsale Gas Platform.
€500m was the cost of the Spring fodder crisis.
15 was the number of dry days before absolute drought was declared in July.
6 successive days in June where there was more than 14.5 hours of sunshine.
-8.8 in Charlestown, Mayo was the lowest recorded temperature in the country last March.
25,000 homes left without power after the Christmas storms.
