A weather warning for seven counties takes effect on Sunday afternoon with gale force gusts set to blast Atlantic coastal counties.
The Status Yellow alert for Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Galway will be in place from 3pm until 11pm on Sunday.
Met Eireann says winds could reach mean speeds of 50 to 65km/h with gusts of 90 to 110km/h with stronger winds expected along coasts and on higher ground. Some fallen trees and power outages are also possible.
Another Status Yellow wind warning for Clare and Kerry will be in place from 3pm until 8pm, bringing wind speeds of 50 to 65km/h with gusts of 90 to 100km/h.
The warnings, which previously indicated that "severe" weather was on the way, come ahead of an unusual change before Christmas week.
Conditions are set to become unseasonably mild within days thanks to the presence of a high pressure system.
Before then, Sunday will be a cloudy, windy and damp day as southerly winds increase strong and gusty, reaching gale force in western and northwestern coastal counties.
Outbreaks of rain and drizzle will push up from the south from the morning, becoming persistent in the west, with highest temperatures of 11 to 13C.
It will become dry with a mix of clear spells and cloudy periods on Sunday night, but there will be one or two isolated showers especially in the northwest.
Winds will ease and become light and variable with some patchy mist forming and lowest temperatures of 1 to 4C.
A forecaster said for Monday: "Most places will stay dry with some sunny spells, the best of which in the west and north of the country. There is the chance of some light drizzle in the southeast however. Highest temperatures of 7 to 10C.
"Dry and mostly clear to start the night [on Monday]. Cloud will build from the northwest with some mist or fog patches developing in the southeast of the country.
"It will be a cold night too with temperatures of -1 to 2C. Southwest winds will strengthen in the northwest but staying light elsewhere with a chance of patchy frost."
Tuesday will be a "largely cloudy but dry start with any lingering mist or fog patches clearing".
Winds will strengthen from the northwest as cloud continues to build across the country. Some outbreaks of light rain will develop in the northwest overnight, with highest temperatures of 9 to 12C.
It will be mostly cloudy with some isolated clear spells in the southeast on Tuesday night.
It will also stay largely dry but light patchy rain or drizzle will push into the northwest where light to moderate southwesterlies will increase fresh to strong. Rather mild overnight with lowest temperatures of 7 to 10C.
The forecaster continued for Wednesday: C"loudy with outbreaks of rain and drizzle developing over the northern half of the country. Staying much drier with sunny spells in the south. Highest temperatures of 10 to 13C.
"The rain and drizzle over the northern half of the country will gradually ease as winds become light on [Wednesday night]. Further south clearer skies and light winds will allow patchy mist or fog to develop. Lowest temperatures of 8 to 10C but a much colder 3 to 5C in the southeast.
"Current indications suggest a rather calm and dry day [on Thursday] with some sunny spells and occasional cloudy periods. Highest temperatures of 9 to 11C.
"Conditions look to be mostly settled on Friday and the weekend with just isolated showers affecting coastal areas. Generally light southerly winds with temperatures staying in the high single figures."
