Schools to close at midday in four counties due to Storm Amy

People at Portstewart run for cover during Storm Floris in August

Schools in counties Antrim, Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh must close at midday on Friday "in the interests of safety" as Storm Amy brings high winds, the Education Authority has said.

The Met Office has issued weather warnings for wind and rain, as gusts may bring a risk of injuries from flying debris.

An amber warning for wind is in place for five hours on Friday across western counties, with gusts of 60-70mph expected inland and up to 80mph along exposed coasts.

A number of ferry sailings between Cairnryan in Scotland and Northern Ireland have been cancelled from midday on Friday, with possible disruption to earlier crossings too.

Passengers are advised to check with Stena Line and P&O Ferries for updates.

Some schools in Belfast are remaining open as usual while others will close at midday; parents should check with the school before travelling to collect children.

The RNLI has also warned that strong gusts "pose a significant risk to safety" and appealed to the public to "exercise extreme caution, particularly along exposed cliffs, seafronts, piers and waterside paths".

The amber warning runs from 15:00 to 20:00 BST on Friday for counties Antrim, Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh, while a yellow warning is in place for Armagh and Down.

A yellow rain warning is in place across Northern Ireland.

Linda-Gene Byrne, head of safety at the RNLI, encouraged people to "take heed of the warnings".

"Your safety is paramount so absolutely don't take a chance with these warnings in place," she said.

"Just keep your distance away from any of the water so you don't end up getting knocked off your feet potentially or washed out.

"It's better to be safe than sorry."

The yellow warning for wind is set to continue into early Saturday afternoon - and a separate yellow warning for rain has been issued from 11:00 until 17:00 on Friday.

The strong winds expected on Friday could bring down trees and cause large waves in coastal areas.

There is a slight chance of some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs.

Delays to road, rail, air, and ferry services are likely.

There is a slight chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.

NI Water has announced that the Silent Valley Mountain Park in Kilkeel, County Down, will be closed from 14:00 on Friday due to the storm.

A site safety inspection will take place on Saturday to determine whether it can reopen.

Storm Amy will impact the whole island of Ireland on Friday, with warnings issued for all counties.

Met Éireann has issued a red warning - the highest level - for coastal waters between Fairhead (Antrim) and Loop Head (Clare).

Level orange - the second highest level - wind warnings have been issued for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo. The rest of the country is under a yellow warning.

A yellow warning for rain has been issued for counties Galway and Kerry.

What can I expect?

• The Met Office says there is "a good chance" for power cuts, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

• Buildings may be damaged

• Longer journey times and cancellations are likely, with road, rail, air and ferry services likely to be affected

• Flying debris is likely and could lead to injuries or danger to life

• Large waves are possible

'Significant risk to safety'

On Thursday evening, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) warned of heavy rainfall leading to dangerous driving conditions.

The Met Office issued a heavy rain warning for Northern Ireland, which was in force until 22:00 BST.

The PSNI said there was "reduced visibility and standing water on roads throughout Northern Ireland".

They advised drivers to "slow down and increase your stopping distance from the vehicle in front. Exercise caution, even on short journeys in well-lit areas".

The Whitebridge Road, Ballygawley had to close due to a river which burst its banks, the Department for Infrastructure said.