Met Éireann has issued a Status Red weather warning for Cork and Kerry ahead of the arrival of Storm Eunice.

The national forecaster updated its weather warnings for the entire country this morning.

It has said that Storm Eunice will move quickly across the country tonight (Thursday, February 17) and tomorrow morning. The weather system will bring “severe and damaging winds”.

The forecaster outlined that southwest winds veering northwesterly will reach mean speeds of over 80km/h, with gusts in excess of 130km/h in Cork and Kerry.

It has also warned that coastal flooding could be possible during high tide.

The Status Red storm warning will be valid from 3:00a.m to 8:00a.m on Friday (February 18).

Storm Eunice

Met Éireann has issued a Status Orange storm warning for 14 counties where gusts of up to 130km/h are possible. The southwest or cyclonic winds will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h and coastal flooding is also possible.

The warning, which comes into force at 3:00a.m tomorrow, will apply to Clare; Galway; Waterford; Wexford; Waterford; Tipperary; Kilkenny; Carlow; Wicklow; Laois; Offaly; and Dublin.

It will remain in place until 11:00a.m tomorrow and will apply to Cork and Kerry once the Status Red warning expires in those counties.

From 3:00a.m tomorrow, Met Éireann said that a Status Orange snow warning will be in place for Donegal; Leitrim; Sligo; Mayo; and Roscommon.

Along with damaging winds, Storm Eunice will bring heavy sleet and snow causing “blizzard-like conditions” and making road conditions treacherous. That warning is valid until 3:00p.m on Friday.

There will also be a Status Yellow alert for wind, rain and snow for the entire country in place from 1:00a.m to 3:00p.m on Friday.

Meanwhile, the UK Met Office will have a Status Yellow warning in place in Northern Ireland from 3:00a.m to 6:00p.m tomorrow.

“Storm Eunice may cause disruption due to heavy snow and some strong winds on Friday,” it stated.