Strong winds tonight could cause some damage to property, particularly along the west coast, Met Éireann has warned.
Meteorologist John Eagleton said gusts of up to 140km/h were likely, although they won’t be regular.
“I’d say there’s the possibility of some electric poles falling and I’d say more trees will come down,” he said. “If you’ve a loose chimney or slates, they might be worth keeping an eye on.”
The worst of the winds will hit between 6pm and 9pm, and should have mostly died out by midnight.
“It will be a windy day and then there will be a strengthening of those winds tomorrow evening. It won’t be a great day for playing golf – it will just be a bit uncomfortable – but later in the evening it will get worse. We will get a blast around the evening time and I wouldn’t like to be sailing a boat along the west coast during those hours.”
The winds will be south to southwest. The southeast will be the least affected, while the worst hit will be Connacht, the northwest of Ulster, and north Leinster. “If you draw a line from Limerick to Dundalk, the north of it will be worst hit,” he said. Wet and windy conditions are expected for for the new year’s holiday.