Status yellow wind warning issued for eight counties

Met Éireann has issued a status yellow wind warning for eight counties.

The warning is in place for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork and Kerry.

It will come into place this evening at 6pm and remain in effect until 9am on Friday.

Met Éireann stated: "This evening and overnight, west to northwest winds will reach mean speeds of 50 to 65 km/hr with gusts of 80 to 110 km/hr.

"Winds will be strongest along coasts and on hills and mountains."

For the rest of the country, Met Éireann is forecasting heavy showers in Munster, Connacht and west Ulster that will extend eastwards to all areas.

They said some of them will see hail with the possibility of thunder.

Tonight will be "cold and windy with clear spells" while there will be "showers of rain or hail, mainly over the western half of the country."

Friday will start off cold and windy and Met Éireann says it will feel "raw this weekend".

The weekend will see "bright sunshine but wintry falls in places" while it will be frosty at times "with some icy stretches".