A red wind warning has been issued for the whole of the Republic of Ireland, with Met Éireann warning of a possible "danger to life". The alert comes into effect at varying times from 02:00 on Friday and will end at varying times. Met Éireann has warned that "severe, damaging and destructive winds" are expected, with gusts of up to 130km/h.

Met Éireann forecasts extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130km/h with many schools and workplaces set to close

Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are braced for one of the most intense storms in decades, with forecasters warning of extremely rare hurricane-force winds and a danger to life. The national forecasters for Ireland and the U.