Dublin: Met Éireann and independent forecasters are advising close monitoring of weather conditions later this week as the remnants of the once-Category 5 Hurricane Humberto track towards Ireland. While the storm is expected to significantly weaken over the Atlantic, its residual system is likely to bring a bout of unsettled and potentially severe weather starting around Friday.
Humberto, which was briefly upgraded to a powerful Category 5 hurricane over the weekend and is currently located off the coast of the Bahamas, is projected to transition into an ex-hurricane as it crosses the ocean.
Forecasters are pinpointing Friday as the day when the country will begin to feel the impact, with unsettled spells expected to last through the weekend. The presence of the ex-hurricane has introduced “a good deal of uncertainty” into the detailed forecast for the latter half of the week, according to Met Éireann.
Alan O’Reilly of Carlow Weather issued a caution on Monday morning, stating: “Friday needs careful watching now as remnants of Humberto could re-intensify when it interacts with the jet stream.” He stressed the ongoing uncertainty regarding the storm’s exact track and advised the public to keep updated, expressing hope that the worst of the weather will bypass Ireland.
Current models suggest that the west coast of Ireland may bear the brunt of the system, with widespread and heavy rain expected, accompanied by fresh to strong southerly winds. Despite the grim outlook, temperatures are forecast to remain milder than usual for the time of year, with highs potentially reaching 16∘C to 18∘C on Friday.
Met Éireann’s current outlook indicates the weather will generally become wetter and breezier from midweek onwards, even before the direct impact of Humberto’s remnants is felt.
