Storm Chandra will bring flooding to counties all over Ireland, Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather has warned. 

A yellow rain warning is in place nationwide, with heavy rainfall expected all morning and especially strong winds in the east and south. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Mr O’Reilly said the storm snuck up on meteorologists. 

 “It did deepen a lot quicker and a lot more intensely on the weather models in the last kind of 48 hours really,” he explained. 

“Rainfall really is one of the biggest issues we're seeing with it.

“We've had over 50 millimetres of rainfall in parts of Wicklow since 8pm yesterday evening. 

“But the problem is that's fallen on top of over 140 millimetres that already fell in the last seven days. 

“Now, typically, just to give people an idea, we'd be looking at about 80 millimetres of rain, typically to 100 millimetres for a full month of January.” 

A man struggles with his umbrella in Dublin. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo.

Such is the intensity of the rainfall in parts of the country, Mr O’Reilly has already received reports of flooding in parts of Wicklow and Wexford. 

In other parts of the country, there is no flooding yet but the ground was already “completely saturated” due to heavy rainfall over the weekend. 

“That's why you're going to see a lot of reports of flooding, especially in the east of the country,” he said. 

“So, your listeners, if they're setting out on their journey this morning, be very, very careful. 

“Do not drive through a flood because I'm getting reports of a lot of areas that are impassable in parts of Wicklow and some parts of east Carlow.”

Rain in Clonakilty. Picture by: AG News/Alamy Live News

The yellow rain warning will remain in place until 11pm today, after which the forecast will briefly brighten. 

“We will see sunny spells and showers tomorrow, Wednesday,” Mr O’Reilly said. 

“And we will see more showers on Thursday - but they're more of the showery nature rather than another one of these low systems that's going to bring us this deluge again.”

Main image: People huddle under umbrellas as torrential rain falls in Cork. Picture by: AG News/Alamy Live News