The first winter storm of the season will make hit us hard later this week.
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The Met Office said gusts of 60-70mph are expected, with a few gusts of more than 80mph in exposed locations, before winds begin to ease across the Western Isles and the mainland on Friday morning and across the Northern Isles that afternoon.
Soaking rain and howling winds will carry on from late morning through the afternoon on Thursday as the storm tracks the north and west of Ireland.
Lesser Yellow Warnings are in place for Roscommon, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick from 6am. However, further weather updates are expected to be issued later on today in relation to the storm.
This evening and early tonight there’ll be scattered showers, but it’ll become largely dry overnight with clear spells.
A Met Office spokesman said: “A vigorous depression is expected to pass just to the north west of Scotland on Thursday night, bringing a swathe of very strong winds on its eastern and southern flanks”.
Storm Abigail, the first storm to be officially named by the Met Office, is set to bring wet and windy weather to the Grimsby area tomorrow.
Met Eireann is predicting: “Strong winds developing on Thursday again especially in northwestern areas”.
Abigail was chosen by the public as part of a scheme to raise awareness of severe weather to help improve safety.
The winning names were: Abigail, Barney, Clodagh, Desmond, Eva, Frank, Gertrude, Henry, Imogen, Jake, Katie, Lawrence, Mary, Nigel, Orla, Phil, Rhonda, Steve, Tegan, Vernon and Wendy.
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Storms are being named when they are deemed to have the potential to cause a substantial impact in the United Kingdom and/or Ireland.
