This article first appeared on Galway Bay FM

A status yellow wind warning – now in place for the entire country – will be upgraded to Orange for Galway and 17 other counties later this morning.

As Storm Bram approaches, the orange alert is now in effect for Cork, Kerry, Wexford and Waterford until 3pm.

14 more counties in the West and Midlands, including Galway, will also come under an orange warning from 10 this morning until 9 tonight.

Keith Leonard from the National Directorate for Fire & Emergency Management says they’re prepared for what’s to come:

Salthill Car Park and Toft Car Park and a number of coastal roads are closed – including Silverstrand Road, Ballyloughane Beach Road and a section of Rosshill Road

The Woods at Bearna, Terryland, Merlin and Rosshill, along with Galway City Museum, are closed until further notice

Sandbags have been placed for the public at the Tourist Kiosk Salthill, Claddagh Hall, the Fire Station Fr Burke Road and Spanish Arch.

People are advised to stay updated with their local authority – whether that’s the City Council or the County Council.

We’ll also have updates throughout the day of road closures, weather warning updates, power outages and more on FM, the website and the app.