LAST UPDATE
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10 hrs ago
A STATUS ORANGE weather warning has come into effect in Waterford, while Status Yellow rain warnings are in place for 11 other counties.
Orange warnings for Dublin, Louth and Wicklow will begin from midday.
Met รireann has said that spells of very heavy rain falling on already saturated ground, combined with high river levels and high tides, will lead to localised flooding, river flooding, with potential impacts along the entire course of the river, and difficult travel conditions.
The Status Orange rain warning in Waterford will stay in place until 9am tomorrow.
Orange warnings for Wicklow and Dublin will come into effect at 12pm and stay in place until 3pm tomorrow. An Orange warning for Louth will also come into force at 12pm and remain in place until 6pm tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Met รireann has warned that counties placed under a Status Yellow rain warning should expect that further rain falling on already saturated ground combined with high river levels and high tides will lead to localised flooding, river flooding and difficult travel conditions
Status Yellow rain warnings will come into effect in Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Wexford and Tipperary at 9am today and stay in place until 9am tomorrow. Status Yellow rain warnings for Cavan, Meath, Monaghan and Louth will come into effect at 12pm and stay in place until 12pm tomorrow.
Senior Met รireann forecaster Gerry Murphy said the higher regions in Dublin, such as the Dublin mountains and parts of the capital that have flooded recently, will be the most at risk of flooding over the next 24 to 36 hours.
โItโs really the southern half of Dublin that this Orange warning refers to, simply because the higher ground is in South Dublin in conjunction with the Wicklow Mountains,โ he said.
Murphy said people should be aware that there is going to be โa lot of consistent, persistent rainโ.
โThe rain will start off around mid-morning, and itโs really going to continue right the way through the rest of today, right the way through the night, and right the way up until tomorrow afternoon. So itโs going to be very wet, really.โ
In Enniscorthy, which was badly affected last week when the River Slaney burst its banks during Storm Chandra, Cathaoirleach Barbara-Anne Murphy said that authorities remain fully mobilised.
โTheyโre meeting every single day about it,โ Murphy said. โTheyโre still on full alert in Enniscorthy and theyโre not taking their eye off the ball โ that will continue well after the weekend.โ
Enniscorthy pictured during Storm Chandra last week. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
She added that Enniscorthy โmay avoid the worstโ of the rain today, but said that Wexford will once again be hit by heavy rainfall.
Wexford County Council has deployed an โaqua damโ interim defence in Enniscorthy, a temporary, water-filled portable enclosure used to control, divert, or contain water for flood protection and construction.
Chair Eddie Taaffe told RTรโs Today with David McCullagh programme that there has been some wave overtopping at Wexford harbour, but that โit hasnโt been as bad as we expectedโ with the aqua dam containing the water.
Taaffe said he believes this is the worst they will face at the harbour today, but โwe will obviously keep that situation under constant reviewโ.
The council is also coordinating further measures with the Office of Public Works (OPW), who monitor water levels nationwide.
Residents are being asked to prepare their homes in flood-prone areas, and sandbags distributed last week and yesterday at the Whitemill depot can be reused if stored safely.
โMake sure that you listen to all the alerts. Make sure that you are prepared,โ Murphy added.
Dublin preparations
South Dublin Fianna Fรกil councillor Emma Murphy, whose local area close to the Dodder river was hit hard by flooding last week, said that the effects of Storm Chandra are still being felt.
She added that authorities have put measures in place over the past few days to reduce the risk. โThere are a number of people and business owners still feeling the effects,โ Murphy said.
โWeโve been reassured by authorities that anything that is needed is there this week. Sandbags and other prevention measures have been put in place, particularly around schools and high-risk areas.โ
South Dublin County Council has closed all parks in the area โin the interest of safetyโ.
Dublin City Council has warned that river levels remain high, and a high tide advisory is in effect.
Coastal car parks at Sandymount and Clontarf, the Clontarf cycle lane, and the Eden Quay boardwalk floodgates (movable barriers used to control, stop, or release water flow in rivers) remain closed.
Floodgates on Eden Quay boardwalk are closed โas a precautionary measureโ with floodgates along the River Dodder also shut. Crews are actively clearing debris and monitoring river levels.
Cruagh Road Closure – Rain run off associated with storm Chandra has resulted in a section of the retaining wall on Cruagh Road collapsing. The collapsed section of wall is 150m south of Cruagh Cemetery. https://t.co/mpBINpUNP1
This road is closed until further notice to allowโฆ pic.twitter.com/23BScfNWlf
โ SDCC (@sdublincoco) February 4, 2026
โThe advice is the same as last week: stay safe and report concerns immediately to the council so targeted action can be taken,โ Murphy said.
She added that after unprecedented rainfall over the past two weeks, playing pitches across the county remain waterlogged, impacting local sports clubs, businesses and communities, and that the council has been working to ensure resources are in place for areas most at risk.
โReport, report, report is my advice,โ Murphy said.
โIf you have a fear that the river is getting too high, tell us and other authorities straight away, because it means we can deal with it as quickly as possible.โ
Orange rain warnings
Preparations for possible flooding are also well underway in Wicklow and Waterford, the two counties which are expected to experience the most rainfall today.
Forecasters warned that very heavy rain falling on already saturated ground, combined with high river levels and spring tides, could lead to localised flooding, river overflows, coastal wave overtopping, and widespread travel disruption.
Wicklow County Council said its teams are monitoring rivers and roads and are โin a state of readinessโ in any issues arise.
Sandbags are being distributed following assessment, Civil Defence units are on standby, and Community Support Centres can be opened if needed, a spokesperson said.
Several county roads remain partially or fully closed following previous flooding, and authorities continue to assess other areas as waters recede.
(The full list of local road closures in Co Wicklow can be found here.)
Waterford City and County Council has warned that heavy rain, already saturated ground, and high river levels may lead to river and urban flooding, overland flows, and difficult travelling conditions later today.
Sandbags are available at depots across the county, and flood defence barriers will be activated at key locations during high tide.
Car parks will be closed as a precaution, and residents are urged to follow the Irish Coast Guard advice to โStay back, stay high, stay dry.โ
Please be advised that due to the Orange Rain Warning for #Waterford the following car parks in are at risk of flooding, and as a precautionary measure, will be closed to the public ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฝ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด (๐ช๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ต) ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐นโฆ pic.twitter.com/8lDvk3bMlG
โ Waterford City & County Council (@WaterfordCounci) February 4, 2026
Elsewhere, Louth County Council has said that Wellington Quay in Drogheda may flood during high tide, with surge levels potentially reaching nearly 40cm today.
Motorists are being advised to avoid Haymarket Bridge during peak tidal periods later today.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group will be monitoring conditions closely throughout the day, with councils sharing resources and equipment to support flood-prone areas.
With reporting from Andrew Walsh, Jane Moore and Sophie Finn.
