Storm Austen

Fingal County Council is preparing for the arrival of Storm Austen which is expected to bring intense rainfall during the early hours of Friday morning. The Council wishes to reassure the public that an emergency/out of hours service WILL be in operation to deal with reports of flooding, fallen trees/debris etc.

Due to the expected impact of Storm Austen, the Council has activated our emergency response plan and our Severe Weather Assessment Team. Issues such as fallen trees, debris, and flooding should be reported directly to Fingal’s Emergency contact number on 018905000. Reports will be logged for action by crews when safe to do so.

Storm Austen is expected to bring high levels of rainfall overnight on Thursday into Friday morning. There is the potential for flooding in southern and eastern areas, with small, mountainous, upland, and urban catchments at greatest risk, as they will respond quickly to the higher-intensity rainfall.

Met Éireann have issued a Status Orange rainfall warning for Co. Dublin from 2am - 8am on Friday 23 October 2026. Alongside this there is also a Status Yellow rain and wind warning in effect for Dublin from 7pm today until Friday, October 23 at 10am.

Potential impacts:

· Difficult travelling conditions with disruption and delays to public transport

· Localised flooding possible

· Outdoor events impacted

· Debris, loose objects displaced

· Fallen trees and branches

The Council would like to remind people that while the weather warnings may end at 10am tomorrow, the risk of flooding can remain for many hours afterwards. Please continue to take care, particularly near flooded roads, waterways and low-lying areas, and follow any local safety advice. Motorists parking in urban areas should not park too close to the kerb to avoid impeding the flow of rainwater and should not block drains with their wheels. 

Met Éireann have also advised that further strong winds and heavy rain are expected to arrive over the weekend, with the potential to cause coastal flooding and impact Bank Holiday events. Rivers are also likely to experience water level increases that may lead to out-of-bank flooding from Thursday into Saturday.

We ask that you do not report issues via our social media channels.  Issues such as fallen trees, debris, and flooding should be reported directly to Fingal’s Emergency Contact Number on 018905000. Reports will be logged for action by crews and, once it is safe to do so, teams will be out to try and deal with issues. We may experience a high number of calls, so we ask for your patience.  Our Operations Department email addresses are not monitored out of hours so please use the above phone number. The recycling centres at Coolmine and Estuary remain closed. 

Other useful contact details are:

For an emergency dial 999 or 112

ESB Emergency Services: 1800 372 999

Monitor www.powercheck.ie

Uisce Éireann helpline: 1800 278 278, www.water.ie 

Monitor Met Éireann for the latest updates: www.met.ie

The National Severe Weather and Flood Coordination Group will be meeting regularly throughout the storm warning period and is monitoring the emerging weekend forecast.

Members of the public can access practical and helpful information on emergency preparedness at gov.ie/BeEmergencyReady.