WITH STORM ALI set to hit Ireland overnight into tomorrow morning, the starting time for the National Ploughing Championships has been put back to 11am.
A Status Orange weather warning was issued for large swathes of the country earlier today, with the home of the ploughing in Tullamore, Co Offaly included in the warning.
From 5am till 1pm tomorrow, it is warned that gusts of between 110 and 120km per hour will hit the country, bringing rain and strong winds throughout the morning.
The Ploughing Championships had been due to open to the public at 9am, but this has now been but back to 11am, as the storm is expected to pass through the midlands between 8am and 10am, in particular.
The event will remain open an extra hour tomorrow to 7pm, with tens of thousands expected again.
Given the change in time, people are being urged to plan their journeys accordingly, follow signage and garda directions in the area, and be alert for challenging weather conditions in the heavy winds.
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