Storm Éowyn will rip across the country on Friday morning with the entire country hit with Status Red warnings

As of 9am on Thursday, there are eight Red Weather Warnings in place from Met Eireann. There is also a Status Orange Wind Warning for all of Ireland from midnight until 4pm tomorrow. The Status Red Weather Warnings are as follows.

A Status Red wind warning for Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon and Tipperary from 6am on Friday until 11am on Friday. A Status Red wind warning for Donegal from 7am on Friday until 2pm on Friday.

One of Ireland's foremost weather experts has said Storm Eowyn could be 'the worst storm we have seen in years'

Storm Éowyn – pronounced "ay-oh-win" – is the fifth named storm of the season and is this morning developing rapidly as it moves towards us. It is being fuelled by a very powerful jet stream - fast moving air high in the atmosphere where wind speeds are around 260mph (418km/h).

Ireland should brace itself for storm force winds, heavy rain, sleet and snow, beginning on Thursday night when Storm Éowyn makes landfall. Met Éireann has issued an advisory for strong to gale force winds and heavy rain with the possibility of snow in western parts.

The weather across Ireland is set to take a drastic turn this week with fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages and structural damage expected when the storm hits

The storm is expected to bring possible damage and disruption to parts of Ireland and the UK as it tracks east from the Atlantic. A Met Office yellow warning for wind lasts from midnight on Thursday until midnight on Friday as the storm moves across the region,