The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for rain across Northern Ireland, with heavy and persistent rainfall expected to bring the risk of flooding and travel disruption through to late Friday night.

The warning covers all counties across Northern Ireland, including Antrim, Armagh, Down, Londonderry and Tyrone.

Forecasters say outbreaks of rain will continue to spread northwest across the region through Thursday, overnight and into much of Friday. The rain is expected to be heavy at times and could lead to localised flooding and disruption to transport networks in some areas. Most locations are likely to see 10–20mm of rainfall, while some higher ground — particularly southeast-facing hills — could see totals of 40–50mm. Parts of the Mourne Mountains and Antrim Hills could receive 60–80mm of rain, increasing the risk of impacts in those areas.

Alongside the rainfall, strong to gale-force easterly to south-easterly winds are expected, potentially leading to difficult travelling conditions and large waves along Irish Sea coasts.

The Met Office has assessed the overall impact risk as medium, but with a very low likelihood, meaning disruption is possible but not expected to be widespread.

Separately, the latest regional forecast indicates cloudy conditions with repeated outbreaks of rain continuing into the weekend and early next week, with some heavier spells maintaining a risk of flooding at times.

The Met Office advises the public to stay up to date with the latest warnings and forecasts, particularly if planning travel during the warning period.