Updated at 7.10am

ANOTHER STORM IS set to batter the country in the days leading up to Christmas.

An orange alert weather warning has been issued by Met Éireann. The system’s strong enough to warrant a name under the new Anglo-Irish storm-naming system.

This one’s called Eva – and it’s the fifth to hit this winter, after Abigail, Barney, Clodagh and Desmond, which swept across the country at the start of the month, leading to heavy flooding across the Shannon region.

Three weather warnings were issued by the weather service yesterday afternoon and remain in place until at least midnight tonight.

The Road Safety Authority is also advising drivers to exercise caution behind the wheel.

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Here are the details of the weather alerts:

Status Orange: Wind warning for Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Clare

Southerly winds veering southwest of mean speeds of 60 to 65km/h gusting 100 to 110km/h expected, with stronger winds of mean speeds of 65 to 80km/h with gusts of 120km/h at times between 1600 and 2100hrs.

In effect from 1pm today until midnight.

Status Yellow: Wind Warning for Leinster, Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford

Southerly winds of mean speeds of 60 to 65km/h gusting 100 to 110km/h expected tonight.

In effect from 1pm today until midnight.

The wind picture this morning. The wind picture this morning.

Status Yellow: Weather Advisory for Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Clare

A developing storm is expected to track to the west and northwest of Ireland later today and tonight will bring some severe winds to coastal counties of the west and northwest of Ireland. This storm has been named Eva, as there is an orange status wind warning in operation for counties Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.

Advice for drivers

The RSA is urging motorists and other road users to be mindful of the forecasts and to take extra care. Here’s the advice for drivers:

• Beware of objects being blown out onto the road. Expect the unexpected. Watch out for falling/fallen debris on the road and vehicles veering across the road. 
• Control of a vehicle may be affected by strong cross winds. High sided vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to strong winds. 
• Allow extra space between you and vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists. 
• Drive with dipped headlights at all times. 
• Monitor radio weather broadcasts while travelling.

Flood warnings

Flood defences are to be installed in Limerick City as a precautionary measure ahead of high tides and expected heavy rainfall in the coming days, the Council has confirmed.

According to the local authority, the flood risk, while described as low at present “is the result of a combination of high tides due twice daily from 24-28 December on the Shannon Estuary and up to Limerick City, with the possible risk of strong winds, low atmospheric pressure and higher than average rainfall for the coming days”.

Meanwhile Clare County Council is urging home and business owners, particularly those in low-lying coastal areas, to take extra precautions.

White Christmas? 

After another mild day, temperatures dropped yesterday evening to between 3 and 6 degrees.

After the stormy conditions today, Christmas Eve will be cold with a mix of sunny spells and blustery showers.

Christmas Day will start off cool, bright and sunny in many areas. However, wet and windy weather will develop in the southwest by around noon, spreading across the country.

Daytime temperatures will be cool on 25 December – as low as 5 degrees: but not cold enough for snow.

St Stephen’s Day will be extremely mild, with highest temperatures of between 11 and 14 degrees.

With reporting from Michelle Hennessy and Rónán Duffy

Read: Wind, rain and more wind: Met Éireann has issued another weather warning>