Met Éireann issued a Status-Yellow snow and rain warning on Wednesday morning (7 January 2026) for Cork, Kerry, Waterford and Wexford as Storm Goretti tracks towards Ireland from the Bay of Biscay. The alert will run from 12:00 to 20:00 on Thursday, with forecasters predicting heavy rain turning to sleet or wet snow on higher ground, creating hazardous driving conditions and the potential for localised flooding. ([irishtimes.com](https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2026/01/07/yellow-weather-warnings-issued-as-storm-goretti-approaches-ireland/?utm_source=openai))
Although Dublin Airport is outside the warning zone, regional airports at Cork and Waterford could see temporary runway closures for de-icing, and road access to the port of Rosslare may be affected by icy patches. The National Emergency Coordination Group has advised transport operators to activate winter-service plans and to deploy additional gritters on arterial routes.
If unforeseen schedule changes force travellers to reroute through third-country hubs, they may suddenly need transit visas or other entry documents. VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can arrange urgent applications online, monitor processing times and deliver real-time updates, ensuring passengers stay compliant even when the weather doesn’t.
![Storm Goretti prompts Met Éireann snow-and-rain alert for four southern counties]()
Employers with staff travelling to or from the south-east on Thursday should prepare for possible flight diversions or bus-service cancellations. Remote-work arrangements may help mitigate productivity losses, while logistics teams should anticipate slower road transit times for time-sensitive shipments.
The weather system arrives just days after an Arctic cold snap that caused scattered flight cancellations nationwide, underscoring the cumulative impact of successive winter storms on mobility. Travel managers are encouraged to register employees for airline SMS alerts and to remind them of EU261 rights in the event of weather-related delays.
Met Éireann’s next update is due at 06:00 on Thursday; an upgrade to Status Orange cannot be ruled out if precipitation rates exceed current models.
Although Dublin Airport is outside the warning zone, regional airports at Cork and Waterford could see temporary runway closures for de-icing, and road access to the port of Rosslare may be affected by icy patches. The National Emergency Coordination Group has advised transport operators to activate winter-service plans and to deploy additional gritters on arterial routes.
If unforeseen schedule changes force travellers to reroute through third-country hubs, they may suddenly need transit visas or other entry documents. VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can arrange urgent applications online, monitor processing times and deliver real-time updates, ensuring passengers stay compliant even when the weather doesn’t.
Employers with staff travelling to or from the south-east on Thursday should prepare for possible flight diversions or bus-service cancellations. Remote-work arrangements may help mitigate productivity losses, while logistics teams should anticipate slower road transit times for time-sensitive shipments.
The weather system arrives just days after an Arctic cold snap that caused scattered flight cancellations nationwide, underscoring the cumulative impact of successive winter storms on mobility. Travel managers are encouraged to register employees for airline SMS alerts and to remind them of EU261 rights in the event of weather-related delays.
Met Éireann’s next update is due at 06:00 on Thursday; an upgrade to Status Orange cannot be ruled out if precipitation rates exceed current models.
