As Hurricane Ophelia hits West Cork this morning, power outages have been reported in the Clonakilty area. People are urged to stay safe and not to make any unnecessary journeys.
At 6am this morning Cork County Council's Crisis Management Team convened at County Hall to assess the latest weather information.
The following should be taken into account:
Winds speeds currently at 50km/h and rising steadily. Peak winds expected to occur between 12 noon and 3pm with speeds averaging 100km/h and gusting up to 140km/hr. This in effect reflects a doubling or trebling of current speeds.
Intense rainfall expected between 11am and 2pm. Significant tidal surges expected with possible flooding in coastal locations, including Clonakilty and Youghal.
Further updates to follow.