Storm Éowyn: Met Éireann upgrades weather warning

Met Éireann has issued a red "danger to life" warning for four counties and upgraded the alert status of the rest of the country to orange as Storm Éowyn predicted to bring "powerful and destructive winds" on Friday.

Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick have all been placed under the highest level of weather alert from 3am until 10am on Friday.

Cavan, Monaghan and all others have been placed under an orange level alert from 2am on Friday until 5pm that evening.

“Gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive winds with gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time," Met Eireann predicts.

Expected impacts include fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages, structural damage, very difficult travelling conditions, disruption and cancellations to transport, and wave overtopping.

The UK Met Office has also issued a yellow-level wind warning for the North, including neighbouring Fermanagh, due to Storm Éowyn.

“Storm Éowyn is expected to pass close to or across the north west of the UK on Friday before clearing to the north east on Saturday," the weather agency stated. "Whilst there is some uncertainty in the track of Éowyn, a spell of very strong winds is likely, initially south-easterly before turning westerly, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph inland and 80-90 mph along some coasts and hills – perhaps even higher in a few locations.”

The warning for northern counties is in place for all of Friday.

The warning also comes with the advisory that power cuts are likely to occur.

The storm is furthermore likely to affect road, rail, air and ferry services.