The National Emergency Coordination Group will meet this morning ahead of the arrival of Storm Jorge.
A Status Yellow rainfall warning is in place for Munster, Connacht and Donegal.
Met Éireann has said rainfall accumulations, generally between 20mm to 30mm, are expected during Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, three separate wind warnings, two orange and one yellow, will affect the entire country when the storm arrives on Saturday.
#StormJorge (named by AEMET, the Spanish meteorological service) is the latest in a series of Atlantic storms this month & is due to affect Ireland from early Sat. Rain will extend countrywide from the W tonight, before the storm arrives.
More info here : https://t.co/ktXtWjbfIg pic.twitter.com/JM8EErAqhx
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 27, 2020
The Defence forces are on standby again today with the potential for further flooding around the country.
They were deployed in three areas in Westmeath and Limerick yesterday after the Shannon burst its banks.
Thousands of acres of farmland are underwater, while some roads in Galway, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary are impassable.
Meanwhile, at least five houses in the village of Rahara in Roscommon are in danger of being flooded over the coming days after the heavy rainfall brought Lough Puncheon to an “exceptionally high level.”
Local farmer Laurence Fallon said the rains are brining “serious hardship to homeowners, farmers and farmyards.”
“Currently there is one house under sever threat and there are two other where let’s say another foot of water would put them under severe pressure and then going a little further on, there would be two more after that,” he said.
“So there are at least five houses that are under substantial risk of flooding but as well as that there are up to five farmyards as well.
“Some of them are already flooded and others under the threat of flooding which is causing a lot of hardship.”
A young woman looks out over the swollen Shannon River in Athlone, 25-02-2020. Image: Eamonn Farrell/RollingNewsYesterday the Government said it would make humanitarian supports available for householders and small businesses who are affected by the flooding and unable to secure flood insurance.
The Business Minister Heather Humphreys said the funds will “go some way towards alleviating the hardship suffered by small businesses, sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations and assist in getting them back up and running.”
“The Government has moved to have this Scheme in place as quickly as possible and it is designed to best assist those who have been affected,” she said.
“The Irish Red Cross will administer and make payments under the scheme on behalf of my Department.”
Meanwhile, the RSA is urging road users to exercise caution over the weekend as Storm Jorge arrives.
Drivers are advised to check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out.
The authority said high winds may affect control of a vehicle and drivers should beware of object blown on to the road.
Drivers should slow down in wet conditions and beware of vulnerable road users.
Severe weather driving tips are available on the RSA website.
