Met Éireann issues Orange and nationwide Yellow warning as Storm Dudley looms

The yellow alert comes into force on Wednesday at 12pm and is valid for 24 hours.

The forecaster predicts that westerly winds associated with Storm Dudley will reach mean speeds of 50 to 65km/h with damaging gusts of 80 to 110km/h, stronger on exposed coasts and on high ground.

A combination of high tide and strong winds will lead to some flooding on exposed coasts.

A Status Orange wind warning is also in place for Co Donegal on Wednesday, the alert will come into effect at 9pm on Wednesday and is valid until 9am on Thursday.

This warning will be updated on Tuesday morning.

It is predicted that westerly winds associated with Storm Dudley will affect Donegal further on Wednesday night and will reach mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h with damaging gusts of 100 to 130km/h, stronger on exposed coasts and on high ground.

Met Éireann warned that it will be a very unsettled week ahead with two named storms on the way. The weather is expected to cause some disruption at times.

Storm Dudley will track to the north of Ireland on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

After a brief respite on Thursday, Storm Eunice looks likely to track up over Ireland later on Thursday night and during Friday, bringing with it the potential for some severe winds countrywide. It also has the potential to bring falls of snow.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) urged road users to exercise caution while using the roads over the next few days as a result of these weather warnings.

Motorists are warned that control of a vehicle may be affected by strong cross winds, especially on exposed routes such as dual carriageways and motorways.

High sided vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to strong winds.

Road users should be aware of objects being blown onto the road while driving. Expect road conditions to change quickly in high winds so reduce your speed.

The RSA has asked people to watch out for falling/fallen debris on the road and vehicles veering across the road.

Drivers should allow extra space between themselves and vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and motorcyclists as they may be blown off course by strong winds.

Road users also need to slow down in wet weather conditions, to avoid the risk of aquaplaning. Drivers should also leave a bigger gap between themselves and the vehicle in front.

Meanwhile, today will be largely dry and sunny with showers mostly dying out this afternoon.

Sunny spells and well scattered showers at first this afternoon, mainly in the west and north.

Showers will become more isolated and will mostly die out through the afternoon with highest temperatures of five to nine degrees but feeling colder in a moderate to fresh and gusty northwest wind, easing and backing southwesterly later.

Tonight will start cold and frosty but the temperatures will rise through the night as a strengthening southwest wind veers westerly overnight.

Along with the wind will be heavy rain, bringing a risk of localised flooding, the rain will clear eastwards overnight, with showers following into northern counties later.