Parts of the country are set to be battered by severe winds today as weather warnings for six counties take effect.
A status yellow wind warning has been issued for Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick as the south and western parts of the country brace for gusts of 90 to 110km/h.
The wind warnings take effect from from 3pm today and are valid until 1am on Thursday morning.
And Met Eireann has warned that heavy rain will soak the country this morning before clearing eastwards with clearer weather developing in the west. This will however bring scattered heavy showers.
A forecaster said: "A strong and gusty southerly wind will veer westerly with the clearing rain and ease for a time in the morning, before increasing strong again before the afternoon, with gale force winds at the coasts.
However there will be a big change to the weather come by the evening time with a smattering of sunshine set to arrive as early as Thursday.
Tonight will frequent showers this evening and early tonight will die away from most places by morning while strong northwesterly winds will ease later in the night.
A forecaster added: Thursday, will start out cold and dry and sunny with temperatures of between 5 and 7 degrees. The westerly wind will ease and fall light for a time, backing southwesterly later. Cloudy conditions in the west in the afternoon will bring rain later.
:A strengthening southerly wind accompanied by widespread rain and low cloudy on Thursday night will bring another change with temperatures rising through the night to between 9 and 11 degrees.
Temperatures will remain unchanged through Friday then with a light to moderate southwesterly wind. Rain will gradually break up from most places, although lingering for a time in the north and east, there'll be showers on coasts. Temperatures will remain unchanged through Friday night."
