**Risk of a strong wind storm hitting Ireland next week**

After a week of dry weather across Ireland with rainfall way below average and much of Ireland seen barely a trace of rainfall the weather is set to see unsettled conditions next week with spells of wet and very windy weather.

It will also turn a little colder over the later of stages of next week with some wintry falls of hail, sleet and snow for places also.

Heavy rainfall Tuesday

A area of low pressure in the Atlantic will pass to the northwest of Ireland on Tuesday afternoon, evening and night bringing in a band of rain with it as it sweeps across Ireland on Tuesday afternoon and evening it will bring some heavy falls of rain to places with some spot flooding.

Turning windy on Tuesday afternoon, evening and night

It will also turn rather windy on Tuesday afternoon, evening and night with strong southwest to west winds especially across the western, northwestern and northern counites where winds will be strong with the risk of some coastal flooding also possible especially around high tide. Weather warnings are likely to be issued for wind for parts of Connacht and Ulster. This system looks as it will not be named.

A much more severe storm expected later Wednesday and Thursday

A much more severe wind storm is expected to pass over or near Ireland on Wednesday into Thursday with the current forecast model runs from the ECMWF, GFS and ICON showing a very deep area of low pressure under going rapid Cyclogenesis. This is when an extratropical cyclone or low pressure system undergoes a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure (24 millibars or more) in a 24-hour period is referred to as explosive cyclogenesis. Isobars become much more tighter which lead to stronger winds. We have seen this a few times across Ireland over the last few years.

The above images show the tight squeeze on the isobars as the area of low pressure moves across Ireland which could bring some severe and damaging winds to places of between 120km/hr to 140km/hr with many areas seen winds gusting between 80km/hr to 110km/hr as it passes across Ireland.

At the moment its to early to say where the strongest winds will occur but most likely will be across Atlantic coastal counties of the west and and south but this will become much more clearer early next week when the track is much more clear. Winds will possibly been west to northwest in direction.

This would also bring a high risk of coastal flooding to places with very large seas.

This system will also be a named storm looking at the current model runs.

Some rain is also expected from this system on Wednesday into Thursday with some heavy bursts

Turning colder later in the week with some wintry falls of hail, sleet and snow

As the low pressure system clears to the east on Thursday much colder air will move in behind it with a very showery set up also expected. The air mass is a polar Maritime air mass which will give wintry falls to places with mostly rain, hail and sleet to lower level but some snow also look on the cards later next week over high ground areas as the below image shows. Purple indications wintry falls of hail, sleet and snow. Some thunderstorms activity also looks possible.

The longer range forecast then indicates high pressure will build again after next weekend with a return to much drier condations and also warmer and sunnier weather bringing back the spring like weather.

Kenneth from the Donegal Weather Channel

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