Now, Met Éireann has extended a Status Yellow rain warning issued for today to cover 17 counties. Our tardiness in addressing critical infrastructure projects, climate change and inadequate weather alerts is having serious consequences for communities. It found climate change made the flooding over three times more likely to occur, acting as a “force multiplier”. Although global warming is widely acknowledged to be a driver of the climate change which is causing such hardship, the Government has yet to publish its updated national Climate Action Plan. We hardly need leprechauns to remind us climate change is here – and it demands attention.

Source: Irish Independent February 18, 2026 17:32 UTC