Met Éireann has confirmed the current weather warning system will be replaced, and it aims to have the new, more localised system in place later this year.
The new system will see weather warnings issued to smaller, more specific areas. Currently, weather warnings issued on a county-by-county basis.
The national forecaster has said the new system will provide more precise guidance to communities during periods of adverse weather.
A spokesperson for Met Éireann said the move away from county-based warnings will “identify where the expected impacts will be in the county”.
“Met Éireann is progressing in the area of more localised weather warnings, via the use of polygons to represent areas under warnings,” they said.
“This will mean a move away from county-based warnings to a sub-county-based warning approach, which will identify where the expected impacts will be in the county.
“This involves coordination with local authorities and NDFEM [National Directorate of Fire and Emergency Management] as the weather warning system is integrated into emergency management plans and procedures at national and local levels,” they said.
“This enhancement to our weather warning system is part of Met Éireann’s overall work to improve weather services in Ireland.”
Met Éireann confirmed the move in a reply to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD for Laois Willie Aird, who said the county-based approach is too broad for Ireland’s weather conditions and results in warnings “not reflecting the actual risk on the ground”.
In its reply to Mr Aird, Met Éireann said: “This enhanced localisation will provide clearer direction to those at risk and support more targeted emergency preparedness.
“The aim is to have this system in place later in 2026.”
Mr Aird said: “The new system will bring clarity. It will end the unnecessary disruption that blanket county warnings can cause while still giving clear safety information to the people who need it.”
He highlighted heavy snowfall seen in January of last year as an example where a more localised warning system would have been beneficial.
“High ground areas of Laois, Kilkenny, Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary were technically in red alert conditions with disruptive levels of snowfall, while lower?lying parts of those counties had very different circumstances with mostly rain.
“A county-wide warning simply does not reflect that reality.
“People do not live their lives by county borders. Weather does not respect them either. This is a practical step that will help protect homes, businesses and lives.”
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