Yellow wind warning for Stephen’s Day as Storm Bella due

A Status Yellow wind warning is due to come into force early on St Stephen’s Day as Storm Bella pushes in from the north.

Met Éireann's warning for Connacht and Counties Donegal, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick will be active from midday on Saturday until 6am on Sunday. There is no weather warning for counties in the east of the country.

A combination of strong winds, high waves and storm surge brings a risk of coastal flooding, according to the meteorological service. Wind speeds of up to 65km per hour could bring gusts of up to 110km per hour.

Met Éireann meteorologist Paul Downes said: "Storm Bella will push down from the north on Saturday. Winds will pick up in the afternoon, evening and into the night."

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The forecaster said the strongest winds will be felt around the western and southern coasts. “We will be monitoring the situation over the next few days to see if it [the warning] needs to be updated,” he added.

Amber warning

Storm Bella is due to bring strong winds to Wales and parts of southern England, where an Amber warning has been issued by the UK Met Office. A Yellow weather warning has been issued for the rest of England and Wales, as well as parts of Scotland.

No weather warnings are in place for Ireland on Thursday evening, although widespread frost and some icy patches are predicted for overnight, with clear skies enabling a smooth ride for Santa Claus and his reindeer.

The frost and ice is expected to clear on Christmas morning, to leave the bulk of the country “dry with a mix of cloud and sunny spells”, Met Éireann predicts. During the evening, patches of rain will move in from the Atlantic to affect northwestern counties.