Met Éireann has issued Status Yellow weather warnings as heavy rain is expected across two southern counties.

The national forecaster has said that there will be spells of heavy rain in both Cork and Waterford today (Thursday, February 13).

The rain will lead to possible spot flooding, poor visibility and difficult travelling conditions on roads.

The warning for Cork will be valid from 1:00p.m today until 8:00a.m on Friday, while the alert for Waterford runs from 6:00p.m today until 12:00p.m on Friday.

A Status Yellow gale warning has also been issued for certain coasts. Southeast to easterly winds are expected to reach gale force eight on Irish coastal waters from Roche's Point to Loop Head to Bloody Foreland.

This warning will be valid from 12:00p.m today until midnight.

In its outlook for the coming week, Met Éireann said there will be further spells of rain which will be heavy at times in the south and southwest where there will be higher than normal rainfall amounts.

Conditions are expected to be drier than average over parts of the north and north midlands.

It has been slightly cooler than average over the past week with mean air temperatures ranging between 3°C in the northwest and 6° in the southwest.

In general, Met Éireann said that mean air temperatures last week ranged between 0.8° and 1.5° below normal for this time of the year.

The average soil temperatures ranged between 3.8° in the northwest to 6.2° in the southwest which corresponds to average and 0.2° below average.

The temperatures are anticipated to gradually increase over the next seven days.

Mean air temperatures are forecast to be a degree above average in the north and east but will be approximately 2° or 3° above average in the south and southwest.