MET Eireann has upgraded its weather warning for County Donegal to Orange status this evening following a day of chaos in southern counties.
Hurricane force winds of 160km/hr have been recorded in Munster and Leinster today.
While winds will ease as they hit Donegal, they will still rise to up to 130km/hr, said Met Eireann.
More than 260,000 homes across the south are without power.
Storm Darwin has caused substantial damage in many counties with a state of emergency declared in Kilkenny and Shannon Airport forced to close.
STATUS ORANGE WARNING
Wind Warning for Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal
Stormy this evening with westerly winds of mean speeds of 60 to 80 km/h and severe gusts of 130hm/h
Issued:Wednesday 12 February 2014 15:00
Valid:Wednesday 12 February 2014 15:00 to Wednesday 12 February 2014 20:00
Tags:
