Storm Barra is set to arrive in Ireland within hours with snow and torrential rain already reported in some areas.
Met Eireann has issued a Status Red wind alert for three counties as the storm could be a "threat to life".
The warning will be in effect from 6am until 9pm in Cork and Kerry on Tuesday, with "severe or damaging gusts in excess of 130km/h" and high waves, storm surges and coastal flooding all expected.
A Status Red wind warning is also in place for Clare from 4pm on Tuesday until 1am on Wednesday.
A Status Yellow wind and rain warning has also been issued for all of Ireland from 2am on Tuesday until 6pm on Wednesday.
Dublin, Louth, Wicklow, East Meath, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Mayo and Wexford have had the wind warning upgraded to Orange.
Met Eireann warned that Storm Barra would be a "weather bomb" and a "threat to life" with power outages and travel disruption also expected in many areas.
Alan O'Reilly from Carlow Weather outlined how the conditions will deteriorate until Wednesday.
"It's going to rapidly develop over the next 12 hours, it's a low-pressure system crossing the Atlantic which has been carried by the jet stream and it's becoming deeper and deeper as it crosses the Atlantic," he told the Irish Mirror.
"It's going to arrive close to the west coast of Ireland early tomorrow morning.
"Really by 4am or 5am, the south-west will begin to feel the impact of the winds and they will then begin to increase through the morning.
"The latest track has shifted the centre of the storm a little further south than previous weather models have shown.
"At present, and this is a little subject to change, the strongest of the winds look to be on the south west and south coast with Kerry, parts of west Cork and Clare seeing the strongest of the winds.
"We are seeing some weather models showing gusts in excess of 130km/h in those areas, so you are looking at some very damaging gusts and sustained winds over 100km/h."
The weather expert said the other problem is going to be the heavy rain that comes with the gusts, as well as the high seas.
Coastal flooding will likely be an issue, especially in the south, south west and west of the country.
"You're looking at some very high seas, over 12 metre-seas expected, and then you also have the duration of the storm because it's going to continue until Wednesday before it begins to ease on Wednesday night into Thursday," Mr O'Reilly said.
"The worst of the storm will be during daylight hours tomorrow when the winds will be peaking in many areas.
"People out and about need to take care.
"It's also going to be very cold, we're going to see some sleet and snow falling for a time, especially in the north west and in other parts of the north in on higher ground in some other areas.
"Then if there are power outages and people who will be without power from Tuesday night into Wednesday need to try and stay warm without electricity in some areas.
"It is going to be a very challenging 36 to 48 hours."
He urged people to exercise caution and avoid coastal areas in the coming days.
"Certainly where the strongest winds are and near the coast, it will be very dangerous and people should stay away from coast tomorrow," he said.
"Unfortunately, even a little inland we may see some structural damage and trees coming down so there certainly is a risk to people who are out and about in the strongest hit areas.
Mr O'Reilly also urged people to keep up to date with the weather warnings and forecast as further alerts are likely today and tomorrow.
