Northern Ireland's political leaders urge people to stay at home on Friday during Storm Éowyn
The Met Office says there is a danger to life, with the entire island of Ireland now under red weather warnings for the first time
The Northern Ireland red weather warning will be in effect from 07:00 GMT until 14:00 on Friday, with amber and yellow warnings in place until midnight
The PSNI declares the storm as a major incident
All schools in Northern Ireland will close and there is widespread disruption to buses, trains, planes and ferries
An government emergency alert was sent to all phones in Northern Ireland, advising people to stay at home during the worst of Friday's weather
Image source, Getty ImagesWe've already heard news that schools across Northern Ireland will be closed on Friday - and the same applies in the Republic.
The Irish Department of Education has confirmed schools will close and remain closed after the red warning expires.
In an advisory notice, it says school buildings may need to be checked for any damage.
Image source, Getty ImagesEarlier on Radio Ulster's Talkback, the AA's Chris Wood says that if it's essential for you to drive tomorrow you should "plan your route before you go out, stick to main roads and be extra cautions when driving".
"Check with your insurance provider, make sure you are covered," he added.
He says to "expect delays and check you have enough fuel", your window wipers and the tread in your tyres.
The RAC has also issued guidance as red weather warnings "are the strongest possible signal that drivers should avoid the roads".
Spokesperson Alice Simpson says it strongly urges drivers in Northern Ireland "to stay safe by parking away from trees that could be uprooted".
Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent
We know Stormont ministers held briefings throughout the morning to assess the level of risk and discuss how prepared different agencies are.
Like all weather events, politicians can’t control the unpredictable but it was evident from the press conference that ministers want to avoid a sense of panic.
O’Neill warned of the potential for danger and urged anyone thinking of venturing out to get a photo not to do it.
Little-Pengelly said we should “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”.
The fact we are expecting a second press conference with ministers in the next few hours, after they meet the PSNI, is an indication of how seriously this is being taken.
The first minister says emergency responders have a protocol in place for these kinds of situations that has "kicked in".
O'Neill says that while you "can't predict what's going to happen in these scenarios", she says there are "things you can do" to prepare.
"I don't think Emma or I could stand here and predict what potentially could unfold," she adds.
But she says that high winds and fallen trees are expected "and that's why we are urging people to stay at home if they can".
The press conference is now over but, as signalled by both the first and deputy first ministers, another is expected later this afternoon.
The Deputy First Minister says people should "keep a close eye" on the government's social media accounts and home pages.
She says these accounts will be kept up to date with the latest news.
The deputy first minister says there will be meetings throughout the day, with ministers planning to speak to the media again at about 3.30pm.
She says the red alert for Northern Ireland is "highly unusual" and that between 7am and 2pm on Friday there is a likelihood of "widespread disruption".
Little-Pengelly says that as well as schools closing, she expects other alerts to come out today.
She says agencies will be monitoring the situation over the coming hours as "we work together to keep the people of Northern Ireland safe".
"You can play your part by following the advice and only travelling if it is essential and to work at home."
Michelle O'Neill asks members of the public to "bear with us".
"We'll try to provide as much guidance as we can in as much real time as we can," she says.
She adds there will be "much more" information later this afternoon, including on impacts on the health service.
Michelle O'Neill says an emergency alert will go to people's phones later this afternoon. She said it was an evolving situation, indicating that there are more meetings to come and a further press conference later.
She asked people to avoid unnecessary travel during tomorrow's weather warning, adding that a red warning is "very serious" and people should expect disruption.
Ministers have now approached the podiums set up in Stormont's Great Hall and have started speaking.
Follow along with what they have to say by clicking on the 'Watch Live' button at the top of the page.
We're expecting First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly to speak shortly about preparations for Storm Éowyn.
When it does happen, we'll have the press conference live on this page - you'll be able to watch it by hitting the play button above and we'll have text updates too.
Image source, Getty ImagesSpeaking on Talkback, Bryan Monson, from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, says the organisation is asking all employers to complete a risk assessment for Friday.
He added that employers should consider staff staying home "where feasible and possible, the Met Office guidance does state that it is not safe to drive in these conditions".
Monson said that "some people have to travel and that is understood, however where it is not essential , people could stay at home and work from home".
Barra Best
BBC News NI weather presenter
This is the first red warning issued for Northern Ireland since a new impact-based alert system was introduced by the Met Office in 2011.
It is also the first time a red warning has been issued across the whole of Ireland, with Met Éireann issuing the highest level alert across the Republic.
The storm is set to bring severe winds of up to 100mph along some coastal areas, while gusts of up to 90mph could affect inland areas, bringing dangerous conditions.
Any clean-up operation from the storm could also be hampered this weekend with a further wind warning issued by the Met Office for Sunday.
We're expecting a Northern Ireland Executive press conference to take place in about fifteen minutes.
When ministers do start to speak you'll be able to follow along by clicking on the 'Watch Live' button at the top of this page, as well as staying with us for text updates.
Image source, PA MediaTalkback is looking at the possible impact of Storm Éowyn on Northern Ireland, and how it could affect transport, travel, work and appointments.
You can listen live on BBC Sounds.
Tomorrow's storm will be the first time that the entire island of Ireland has been covered in a red weather warning.
In the Republic of Ireland the red alert comes into effect at various times from 02:00.
Met Éireann has warned that "severe, damaging and destructive winds" are expected.
Speaking to RTÉ, chairman of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group said Storm Éowyn would "probably be among the severest storms" Ireland had ever seen.
Similarly to Northern Ireland, all schools have been told to close.
Robbie Meredith
BBC News NI Education Correspondent
Image source, PA MediaThe Education Minister has announced that all schools in Northern Ireland have been advised to close on Friday
The biggest disruption so far confirmed for Storm Éowyn is that all schools will be closed in Northern Ireland on Friday.
Education Minister Paul Givan said he understood this decision would impact the work of schools and other businesses, but that "the decision has been taken to avoid any potential risk to life for children and young people as well as staff".
"Schools should put plans in place today for remote learning so that pupils can study at home.”
The last time all schools in Northern Ireland were advised to close because of weather was due to Hurricane Ophelia in 2017.
The weather warning will come into force across Northern Ireland from 07:00 until 14:00 GMT on Friday.
The Met Office says it means dangerous conditions with widespread disruption.
It advises people to expect:
It is the first time a red weather warning has been issued for Northern Ireland since an impact-based system was introduced in 2011.
Previous red warnings were issued on a different basis.
The system is also different from the one used by Irish meteorological service Met Éireann, which issues warnings based on a threshold system (more on that in a bit).
Welcome to our live page on the preparations in Northern Ireland and the Republic ahead of Storm Éowyn's arrival.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest with the entire island now under red warnings for the first time ever.
All schools in Northern Ireland are due to close on Friday and the Met Office says there is a danger to life.
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