The island of Ireland is bracing for Storm Darragh, with seven counties subject to red wind warnings overnight.
Airports have warned of potential disruption and some ferries have already been cancelled. A series of festive events have also been called off.
Authorities on both sides of the border have been making preparations ahead of the worst of the storm making landfall.
A person takes shelter under an umbrella as they cross the Sean O’Casey Bridge in Dublin city centre ahead of Storm Darragh (Brian Lawless/PA)
Met Eireann’s highest level of alert cover counties Mayo, Clare, Galway, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo and Wicklow.
In Mayo, the warning comes into effect at 9pm on Friday and is place to 3am.
For Clare and Galway, the alert is in place from 9pm to 2am.
In Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, the warning runs between 10pm and 3am.
Storm Darragh is likely to bring huge waves along Ireland’s coastline (Brian Lawless/PA)
The red warning for Wicklow will be in effect from 1am to 6am on Saturday.
ESB Networks said the high winds are expected to cause damage to electricity infrastructure, particularly in counties subject to the red warnings.
The rest of the Republic of Ireland will be covered by a Met Eireann orange wind warning. In Munster and Connacht, that warning will be in place between 8pm on Friday to 10am on Saturday.
The orange alert for Leinster and counties Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan will come into effect two hours later at 10pm and will also lift at 10am on Saturday.
(PA Graphics)
A Met Eireann yellow wind warning covering the whole state came into place at 3pm on Friday. It will remain in effect after the orange warnings lift and will be in place until 3pm on Saturday.
A yellow rain warning for Connacht, and counties Clare, Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan, Longford, Louth, Meath and Westmeath came into place at 10am on Friday and will lift at 10am on Saturday.
In Northern Ireland, the Met Office has issued an amber wind warning covering the whole region from 1am on Saturday to 9pm.
A yellow rain warning came into effect in Northern Ireland at 3pm on Friday and will lift at 12pm on Saturday. A yellow wind warning also came into place at 3pm on Friday.