Met Éireann has issued Status Red Wind Warning for Clare which will be followed by the previously issued Status Orange alert.
The higher level warning will come into effect at 3.00am on Friday and will remain in place until 10.00am while the mid-level alert will commence at 10.00am.
Forecasters say that ‘Red Storm Éowyn’ will bring gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h.
Cork, Kerry and Limerick have also been place under the Red warning.
The possible impacts of the storm include:
Danger to life
Extremely dangerous travelling conditions
Cancellation of events
Wave overtopping
Coastal flooding in low lying and exposed areas
Unsafe working conditions
Fallen trees
Significant and widespread power outages
Structural damage
Disruption and cancellations to transport
Once the Red Warning has elapsed, a Status Orange Wind Warning will remain in place until late Friday afternoon.
Met Éireann has warned of gale force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and destructive gusts of up to 130km/h widely, with even higher gusts for a time.
These winds could result in:
Fallen trees
Damage to power lines and power outages
Structural damage
Very difficult travelling conditions
Disruption and cancellations to transport
Wave overtopping
The Status Orange warning will come into effect at 2.00am before the Red warning has elapsed. It will remain in place until 5.00pm on Friday.
Marine
Meanwhile, Status Yellow Gale Warning has also been issued for all coasts of Ireland and on the Irish Sea.
Southeast winds will reach gale force 8 or strong gale force 9 on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea.
This warning will come into effect at 9.00pm on Thursday and remain valid until 2.00am on Friday.
This alert will be replaced by a Status Orange Storm Warning for all coasts of Ireland and on the Irish Sea.
Met Éireann is warning of southwest winds, veering westerly will reach Storm Force 10 on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea.