SCHOOLS IN 26 counties are set to close this Friday following the announcement of status Red weather warnings as Storm Éowyn is forecast to sweep across the country.

Met Éireann has issued Status Red wind warnings for every county from the early hours on Friday.

The National Emergency Coordination Group (NEMG) met this morning and decided that every school, creche and higher education institution in counties under status Red warnings will close on Friday.

The head of the NECG has warned that the storm could be among the most severe the country has ever seen. 

A ‘shelter in place’ warning has also be issued by the group of emergency experts, warning the public to avoid taking unnecessary journeys and asking employers to allow people to work from home.

The group has directed schools to close for the duration of the status Red warnings. 

A Status Red wind warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford will be in effect from 2am until 10am on Friday.

A Status Red wind warning will come into effect for Clare and Galway from 3am and remain in place until midday.

The Status Red wind warning for Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo will be in place from 4am until midday. 

Cavan, Monaghan, Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wicklow, Roscommon, Tipperary will all be under a Status red wind warning from 6am until midday.

Donegal will be under a Status Red wind warning from 6am to 3pm. 

A Status Orange wind warning will be in place across the whole country from 2am until 5pm on Friday.

Met Éireann has also issued a Status Yellow rain warning for Cork, Kerry and Waterford that will be in place from 9pm on Thursday until 3am on Friday.

The Met Office has issued an Amber warning on counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry from 6am on Friday until 9pm.

Met Éireann meteorologist Gerry Murphy has said that the public should expect public buildings and businesses in counties where Red warnings will be in place to close early on Thursday evening.

As is the norm, public transport services will not be operating in counties during the Red warning. Service providers will decide independently whether to continue operations later in the evening.

Significant and widespread power outages could be ahead – as 50,000 people were without power during Storm Darragh last month – which could have further impacts on communication networks.

The cancellations of events, structural damage to buildings and homes, wave overtopping and coastal flooding should also be expected.