LATEST: Met Éireann in major U-turn as weekend weather warnings are stood down

Met Eireann has performed a major U-turn ahead of the weekend amid significant changes to its weekend weather forecast.

On Thursday, the national forecaster issued status yellow rain warnings for 14 counties, which were due to take effect from midnight on Saturday (Friday night) due to the possibility of localised flooding, poor visibility, difficult travelling conditions.

However, in an update issued this Friday morning, it confirmed that warnings for nine counties have now been stood down.

However, status yellow rain warnings are now in place for five counties in the south east and Met Éireann says they will remain valid until 3pm.

The impacted counties are Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow and Waterford.

Met Éireann is urging caution as spells of heavy rain can be expected in each of the five counties.

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In its latest forecast for Saturday, it says there will be "rather mixed conditions" across the country on Saturday.

"Mostly cloudy to begin in the east and south with rain at times, but brightening up through the afternoon with scattered showers developing. In the west and north, mainly dry with a mix of cloud and sunny spells at first but cloudier conditions with showers, some heavy with a chance of isolated thunderstorms, will spread from the northwest through the day. Light winds becoming northerly will increase moderate to fresh, strong to near gale along western and northern coasts. Highest temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees," reads the forecast.