Electric Picnic festival-goers are being warned to pack their wellies and waterproofs this weekend after Met Éireann flagged a serious risk of heavy rain, thunderstorms and localised flooding across Ireland.
The national forecaster says heavy showers and longer spells of rain will push across the country, with the possibility of torrential downpours hitting at any point. Thunderstorms are also in the mix, which is about the last thing anyone wants when they are standing in a field in Stradbally.
Localised flooding is a real concern according to the forecast, meaning campsites and festival grounds could take a battering depending on timing and intensity. Anyone who has been to a muddy Irish festival before will know how quickly things can go from grand to absolutely desperate underfoot.
Electric Picnic, one of Ireland’s biggest and most beloved music festivals, draws tens of thousands of people to Laois every year. The event has a long history of dealing with unpredictable Irish weather, but a forecast like this one will have organisers and attendees keeping a very close eye on updates in the coming days.
Met Éireann has advised people to stay across the latest forecasts and warnings as the situation develops. Conditions can shift quickly at this time of year, and the difference between a heavy shower and a prolonged downpour can make or break a festival weekend.
For those already planning the trip, the advice is simple. Bring a good rain jacket, waterproof your tent properly, and maybe throw in a spare pair of shoes. Festivals in Ireland have a way of carrying on regardless, and Electric Picnic crowds are well used to making the best of whatever the sky throws at them.
That said, flooding on access roads or within the festival grounds could cause wider disruption, so it is worth keeping an eye on any official communications from festival organisers as the weekend approaches.
Ireland has seen a number of significant rain events in recent months, and the ground in many parts of the country is already carrying a fair bit of moisture. That means even a moderate bout of heavy rain could lead to surface water building up faster than usual.
Met Éireann continues to monitor the situation and further warnings may be issued as the weekend draws closer.