The National Ploughing Championships will open to the general public at 11:00am this morning (Wednesday, September 19), it has been confirmed.

Exhibitors, meanwhile, will apparently be allowed onto the site from 10:00am, weather permitting, Anna Marie McHugh said on RTE Radio 1’s Morning Ireland just after 7:00am.

The National Ploughing Association (NPA) first announced the news to AgriLand late last night.

Speaking to AgriLand, Anna Marie McHugh said: “The ploughing competitions will commence as normal at 10:30am. However, the opening of the exhibition area to the public will be delayed until 11:00am due to Storm Ali passing over the ploughing site, between 8:00am and 10:00am.”

There are no reported concerns regarding the structural safety of the marquees, but there are concerns with regard to gusts causing difficulties when stand-holders open their tents to visitors tomorrow.

The storm has motivated Met Eireann to issue a Status Orange weather warning for wind for 17 counties across the northern, western and midlands regions.

Storm Ali will track close to the west and north-west coast this morning. South to south-west winds veering westerly will increase to mean speeds between 65kph and 80kph, with gusts between 110kph and 120kph for a time.

The core of strong winds will be along Atlantic coasts at first and will then move quickly eastwards during the morning.

Issued yesterday evening at 4:00pm, the warning will be valid from 5:00am through to 1:00pm today.