Met Eireann has confirmed it is "closely monitoring" a hurricane heading towards Ireland.
A predicted path for Hurricane Lorenzo, which is now in the south Atlantic, shows the tropical storm reaching Ireland.
It's forecast the tail end of Lorenzo could batter parts of the country between 8pm on Wednesday and 8am on Thursday.
And forecasters believed the eye of the storm will be over parts of Munster by Thursday evening.
A spokesman for Met Eireann said unsettled weather is expected over the next week, and that the details remain uncertain due to Lorenzo.
He said: "There is potential for unsettled weather to develop during this period, however, uncertainties in the detail remain due to the track of Lorenzo for this timeframe.
"It is likely to become milder due to the influence of tropical origin air.
"Met Éireann is closely monitoring the progress of Lorenzo in the south Atlantic."
The hurricane has been upgraded to a Category 5 storm - the highest category, as wind speeds increased to higher than 250km/h.
It appears by 8pm on Thursday, Lorenzo's centre will be at the south west of Ireland with gusts of around 135km/h.
Average wind speeds by then should be no more than 112km/h - seven km/h below hurricane speed.
Lorenzo has reportedly made history by becoming the strongest hurricane on record this far north and east in the Atlantic basin, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The hurricane is to hurtle northeast on Sunday, with the Azores region in its expected path.
Residents and tourists on the islands are being warned to monitor the progress of Lorenzo.
A forecaster said: "Lorenzo is a large hurricane and its hurricane - and tropical storm force - wind fields are expected to expand further during the next seven days.
"Regardless of Lorenzo’s exact track near the Azores, strong winds are becoming increasingly likely on the islands Tuesday night and Wednesday, and residents there should monitor the progress of the hurricane."
Sea water users are also being warned about "life-threatening surf and rip currents".
The forecaster added: "Large swells generated by Lorenzo will continue to spread across much of the western and northern parts of the Atlantic basin during the next few days.
"These swells will produce life-threatening surf and rip currents."
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