#Weather - Met Éireann has issued a Status Orange wind warning for north-west counties as the first major storm of the winter sweeps in from the Atlantic.

Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo – with coastal areas subject to a 25% rise in risk of extreme weather – can expect to face southerly winds with mean speeds of 55 to 80 km/h, gusting as high as 120 km/h from 9am tomorrow morning (Thursday 12 November).

Lesser Yellow Warnings are in place for Roscommon, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick from 6am.

Small craft and gale warnings are already in effect as of 5am this morning (Wednesday 11 November) as southwest winds are expected to reach Force 6 by this afternoon on all Irish coasts from Fair Head to Mizen Head, with strong gales north of Slyne Head later.

The severe weather system has been dubbed Storm Rachel by the UK's Met Office though this has not been used as yet by Met Éireann despite a recent joint agreement on storm naming, according to TheJournal.ie.