#StormFrank - Storm Frank may have passed but possible strong gales are still forecast for today (Thursday 31 December), making for a very windy New Year's Eve.

A Status Yellow marine warning has been issued by weather forecasters Met Éireann as southerly winds will increase to gale force this morning on all Irish coastal waters and on the Irish Sea, veering westerly by afternoon and increasing to strong gale force at times.

Coastal counties from Donegal to Wexford are bracing for strong and gusty winds with means speeds between 50 and 65 kmh, gusting to as high as 110 kmh – the strongest of these expected in exposed areas of Connacht and Donegal.

Such high winds should be little surprise as Storm Frank brought near hurricane strength winds to Dublin Bay yesterday afternoon – though it's not yet confirmed whether the severe weather heralds the next winter storm of the season, which would be named Gertrude as per the full list revealed this week.

Met Éireann also reports that showers or longer outbreaks of rain will be widespread across the country, with thunderstorms possible, posing additional problems for areas already experiencing or at risk of flooding.

According to TheJournal.ie, the ESB advises that waters in Lough Derg could reach levels matching the destructive floods of 2009 over the next few days.

And the flood risk could continue for another three weeks as forecasts predict further heavy rains, as The Irish Times reports.

#StormFrank - Stay away from coastal areas for the next 24 hours - that's the message from the Irish Coast Guard as Storm Frank sweeps in from the Atlantic today (Tuesday 29 December).

As the Belfast Telegraph reports, all vessels off the West and South Coasts in particular have been advised to seek shelter as Met Éireann has declared Status Orange national and marine warnings for high winds and heavy rains.

"The storm has the potential to lead to a loss of life," warned Irish Coast Guard director Chris Reynolds, who added that seas will be at their most treacherous this afternoon starting on the East Coast.

And at-risk areas in western counties are already making preparations. According to the Galway Advertiser, the Salthill Promenade will be closed to traffic from noon today as a precaution. (Update: closure of the promenade has been postponed with Galway City Council monitoring the situation, as Galway Bay FM reports.)

Motorists nationwide have also been advised to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and into Wednesday (30 December) due to the significant flood risk.

Hopefully that message will be heeded by the group of bored young men in North Tipperary whose video of them waterskiing on a flooded has gone viral overnight, as Entertainment.ie reports.

#StormFrank - South to southeast gales have been forecast for all coasts on the Irish Sea today as Storm Frank advances from the Atlantic.

Met Éireann's Status Yellow marine warning, issued early this morning (Monday 28 December), advises that southwest winds veering northwest will reach gale force or a short time later today on all coasts from Mizen Head to Erris Head to Malin Head ahead of the sixth winter storm of the season.

Last night winds were predicted to gust as high as 95kmh in western coastal counties, while 30mm of rain could fall in Galway, Mayo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick – many of these areas still suffering from floods caused by Storm Desmond earlier this month.

As TheJournal.ie reports, Storm Frank is also expected to produce "exceptionally high Atlantic waves" on the North, West and South Coasts, which will be good news for Ireland's intrepid big wave surfers.