Ireland will be blasted by a "weather bomb" in the coming days as Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice cause "disruptive" conditions nationwide.
Met Eireann has issued two separate warnings, with a rare snow, wind and rain alert as well as a severe wind warning for seven counties set to come into effect.
The Status Orange wind warning for Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, and Wexford will be in place from 5am to 11am on Friday. Follow live updates in our weather blog.
The national forecaster says: "Storm Eunice will bring severe and potentially damaging winds, gusting up to 130km/h, higher in exposed areas. Some disruption is expected along with a possibility of coastal flooding."
Meanwhile, a Status Yellow wind, rain and snow warning for all of Ireland will be in effect from 1am until 3pm on Friday.
Met Eireann says: "Storm Eunice will track over Ireland on Thursday night and on Friday bringing very strong winds and falls of heavy rain, sleet and snow.
"Some disruption is likely along with a possibility of coastal and spot flooding."
It comes as one weather expert has warned of a "weather bomb" as a result of the storms.
Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather said on Wednesday evening: "Storm Eunice is forecast to go from 1004hPa at midday tomorrow to 975hPa at midnight tomorrow night.
"A drop of 29hPa in 12 hours! That is over twice the criteria for a weather bomb.
"In other words, she will come out of nowhere and hit hard."
Met Eireann's national forecast for Thursday says it will be a blustery day with bright spells and showers, some heavy and with hail and highest temperatures of 5 to 9C.
A forecaster said: "Early tonight, rain and sleet will move in from the southwest and southeasterly winds will strengthen as Storm Eunice approaches.
"After midnight rain and sleet will become widespread with falls of snow in places, especially in Connacht and Ulster. It will become stormy overnight in Munster, southeast Leinster and western counties with extremely strong southwest winds, becoming northwesterly with severe and damaging gusts.
"Risk of coastal flooding at high tide early on Friday morning. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 4C.
"On Friday morning, it will become very windy or stormy over all of Ireland with very strong northwesterly winds and severe and damaging gusts.
"There will be further falls of rain, sleet and snow. Disruption to travel can be expected. Through the afternoon, winds will gradually ease and it will be cold with wintry showers of rain, hail and sleet. Afternoon temperatures of 2 to 6C.
"While there are still some uncertainty in the finer details on the exact track of Storm Eunice it will be wet and potentially very windy [on Thursday night], especially over the south of the country where there could be some severe gusts.
"Heavy rain will push in from the southwest too bringing risks of spot flooding. While the rain will transition to sleet and snow over predominantly the north and northwest of the country, with accumulations possible. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +2C, with some hazardous road conditions developing by morning."
They added for Friday onwards: "Very windy at first, especially in the south, with widespread heavy rain along with continued falls of sleet and snow.
"Storm Eunice will clear away through the morning and early afternoon and winds will slowly begin to ease. Very cold showery conditions will follow and some of these showers will be of sleet and snow, most frequent over the western half of the country, there is also a chance of isolated thunderstorms.
"Better sunny spells will develop for a time in the afternoon too. Afternoon temperatures of 2 to 5C, but holding cooler where any lying snow remains.
"Clear spells and wintry showers at first [on Friday night] with moderate to occasionally fresh westerly winds. Later in the night, rain will push in from the Atlantic along with strengthening southerly winds.
"There will be falls of sleet and snow on the leading edge of the rain as it extends eastwards over much of the country by morning. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +2C.
"A wet day [on Saturday] with falls of sleet and snow during the morning transitioning to spells of rain and showers as milder air extends from the west. Highest temperatures in the afternoon of 5 to 10C in fresh and gusty west to southwest winds.
"Temperatures will increase overnight [on Thursday] as southwest winds increase strong and gusty along with widespread heavy rain extending from the northwest which will bring risks of spot flooding.
"Sunday morning will be wet and blustery with widespread heavy rain and localised flooding. The rain will clear away to further wintry showers. Temperatures in the early afternoon will generally range from 5 to 10C, but colder air in the northwest will extend across the country by evening in fresh to strong and gusty westerly winds.
"On Sunday night it will remain very windy with blustery showers, turning wintry in the north and west. Lowest temperatures of 0 to 4C."
