Update: Met Eireann has issued a weather advisory for "potential stormy conditions" on Thursday and Friday.
The forecaster said there is a "high probability" that Storm Lorenzo will track close to or over Ireland later on Thursday and early Friday, giving "high seas, severe winds and heavy rain".
The advisory is applicable from midday on Thursday to midday on Friday.
They will issue weather warnings tomorrow morning.
The Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy will convene a meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group at 4.00 pm this afternoon as Hurricane Lorenzo approaches.
Met Eireann has said it is on standby to issue a Status Orange weather warning for certain areas, with a Status Red warning a possibility for the west and north-west coast.
Following meetings of the NDFEM and @MetEireann this morning on Hurricane Lorenzo, I am convening a meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) at 4pm today.
We will have further updates following this meeting.— Eoghan Murphy (@MurphyEoghan) October 1, 2019
The ESB, Gardaí, public transport operators and local authorities have been told to be ready to activate their crisis management plans.
Update: Met Eireann has said there is still some uncertainty over the future path of Hurricane Lorenzo, but it expects to have more precise details tomorrow.
The forecaster has been working with the US National Hurricane Center and others to try and predict the storm's route.
Met Eireann's Jean Byrne said: "The closer we get to the event, obviously, the better idea we should have. Luckily the models are coming in a little bit more into line, so I think we are fairly confident at this stage it will track close to Ireland, at least, if not over it.
Emergency planners have been put on storm alert as Hurricane Lorenzo tracks towards Ireland.
No category five hurricane on record has ever made it so far north or east in the Atlantic.
Officials at the Department of Housing are closely watching the latest forecasts this morning for information on Hurricane Lorenzo
They have already written to the ESB, Gardaí, public transport operators and local authorities.
They have been ordered to monitor Met Éireann's updates over the coming days and be ready to activate their crisis management plans.
Our 7 day Atlantic Chart shows the precipitation and pressure forecast in 6 hour intervalshttps://t.co/9Giuj4CR5m
A nationwide forecast and outlook covering the next week can be found here. https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/d28eEjkNxT— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) October 1, 2019
Earlier: Met Eireann: Lorenzo 'will no longer be a hurricane' when it comes towards Ireland
Our updated Meteorologist Commentary on Tracking Hurricane Lorenzo is now available on our website here: https://t.co/gjN9OKdtdO pic.twitter.com/g4qI3r6GPK
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) September 30, 2019
Staff from across the civil service are on standby this morning, ready to attend a meeting of the National Emergency Co-ordination group.
Hurricane Lorenzo is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it approaches Ireland.
It is still not certain how close it will come, but it may bring with it high seas and storm surges.
Latest NHC output reflecting that shift East that models have picked up on today #HurricaneLorenzo pic.twitter.com/nkqhG4p0K4
— Waterford Weather (@waterfdweather) September 30, 2019
