The National Emergency Coordination Group is meeting later this afternoon to prepare for the arrival of Storm Callum.
Met Éireann has issued a status orange wind warning for 13 counties with gusts of up to 13 km/h expected.
Emergency teams across the country are meeting today to plan for high winds and heavy rain.
A warning applies to Cork and Kerry from 10pm.
Western counties Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Clare and eastern counties Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath and Waterford will be affected from midnight.
Wind Warnings have been updated for Storm Callum for Thursday night and Friday morning.
Orange level for coastal counties, Yellow level inland.
Note: Wind strengths remain the same, changes to validity times.
Warning info: https://t.co/ozrQHtoOkt#StormCallum pic.twitter.com/oimzDlQgbB— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 10, 2018
Ahead of the storm's expected arrival, Kerry County Council’s Severe Weather Assessment Team is advising people to take extreme care overnight and during the morning work and school commute.
They say there is a risk of fallen trees and branches on roads, with people also being urged to tie down any loose items like trampolines and bins.
In Galway, meanwhile, the council is taking preventative measures.
They are installing an aquadam - a large water filled barrier- between the Spanish Arch and Wolfe Tone Bridge along the quay wall, as well as closing car parks at risk of flooding in Salthill.
Weather Assessment Team Update - @MetEireann #StormCallum Strong winds associated with Storm Callum, coinciding with high spring tides will affect Ireland on Thurs night & Friday am.
Preparations are being made to install the Aquadam at Spanish Arch in advance. pic.twitter.com/zsUZqF9cQP— Galway City Council (@GalwayCityCo) October 10, 2018
High tides of 5.2 metres are expected, and the OPW is predicting a surge of 0.8 metres.
That would bring the total rise to 6 metres lapping Galway harbour - which, in the worst case scenario, could see flooding in the city centre and Salthill.
Cork County council is also working on preventative measures, and Donegal County Council’s Crisis Management Team is working to finalise necessary arrangements.
While the status orange warnings apply to coastal counties, a separate status yellow wind warning will apply to all remaining counties from midnight tonight until 9am on Friday morning.
Reporting by Gail Conway and Stephen McNeice
