DUBLIN, February 6, 2026 — Ireland is bracing for widespread flooding as Met Éireann has issued rain warnings for 12 counties, with orange alerts in effect for Dublin, Wicklow, and Waterford. It’s a situation that’s prompting local councils to prepare for potential disruptions and residents to brace for a soggy few days.
Severe Rainfall Threatens Widespread Flooding Across Ireland
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Heavy and persistent rain is expected to inundate much of the country, with the highest risk concentrated in the southeast and eastern regions.
- Met Éireann has issued orange rainfall warnings for Dublin, Wicklow, and Waterford, indicating a high risk of flooding.
- Yellow warnings are in place for Carlow, Cavan, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Louth, Monaghan, Tipperary, and Wexford.
- River levels are already high, and the persistent rainfall is expected to exacerbate the situation, particularly in areas that experienced flooding last week.
- Dublin City Council is closely monitoring river and coastal conditions, closing car parks and boardwalks as a precaution.
Is your property at risk of flooding? The answer is increasingly likely for residents in a dozen Irish counties as a prolonged period of heavy rainfall sets in. The national forecaster warns that saturated ground, combined with high river levels and tides, will lead to localized and river flooding, as well as difficult travel conditions.
Dublin City Council on High Alert
Dublin City Council stated its flood management team is actively responding to the “ongoing adverse weather conditions and related impacts.” The local authority is closely monitoring river levels and coastal conditions to ensure appropriate responses, and is in regular contact with the National Emergency Coordination Group.
As a precautionary measure, car parks along the coasts at Sandymount and Clontarf remain closed to protect against potential wave overtopping. The cycle lane at Clontarf will also remain closed. Eden Quay boardwalk is closed, and the flood gates along the River Dodder will remain closed until further notice. Crews are actively removing debris from river racks to minimize negative impacts, and a limited supply of sandbags is available for deployment to critical infrastructure and high-risk locations.
Forecaster Warns of ‘Knock-On’ Effects in Dublin
Weather warnings for Dublin will be yellow from 9am to 12 noon on Thursday, shifting to orange until midday on Friday, according to senior Met Éireann forecaster Gerry Murphy. “This is because the higher impacts will occur from noon onwards,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland. “The reason Dublin has been added is because, with Wicklow, there was always consideration for very high totals in the mountainous higher levels, which would then activate responses in quick-responding rivers, with a knock-on effect at lower levels.”
Murphy explained that rainfall totals are now expected to extend into south Dublin, putting areas that flooded recently at increased risk. He emphasized that the rain will be “consistent and persistent,” starting mid-morning and continuing through Thursday afternoon.
Wexford County Council Prepares for High Tide
Eddie Taaffe, chief executive of Wexford County Council, reported that the local authority has been monitoring the tide throughout the night. “We’re still about 2½ hours away from a high tide in Wexford harbour,” he said on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. “The indications are that while we’ll have a very, very high tide around nine o’clock with a gale force eight, easterly wind pushing it into the harbour, our defences should be able to cope.”
Taaffe added that river levels in Enniscorthy have been dropping, but the council remains on alert given the predicted rainfall in the Wicklow Mountains. They have aqua dams available—inflatable barriers that can be quickly deployed to protect against up to a meter of water—ready for potential use in Enniscorthy.
Today will start off mainly dry. Rain developing in the SE early this morning & gradually spreading NW-wards to all areas by mid afternoon, heaviest the SE & E with flooding likely in places. Fresh easterly winds increasing strong to gale force along the E coast.
Highs of 5-10 C pic.twitter.com/ItKGhslS1N— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 5, 2026
Several rivers, including the Liffey, the Nore, the Barrow, and the Slaney, already have very high water levels and are expected to rise further on Wednesday and Thursday. The combination of high tides, saturated ground, and persistent rainfall creates a significant risk of widespread flooding across the east and southeast of the country.
