All ferry crossings between Liverpool, Heysham and the Isle of Man have been cancelled, external ahead of the arrival of storm Ophelia.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said the 07:00, 15:00 and 19:45 sailings frrom Douglas to the UK, as well as the return crossings, have been called off based on the latest weather forecast.

The Met Office is forecasting gusts of 60mph (96 km/h), with coastal areas set to be the hardest hit.

More coverage of the storm here.

Coastguards are urging people to stay away from the coast in Devon and Cornwall because of Ophelia.

Waves of up to 20ft (6.1m) are predicted in some areas, along with winds of up to 55mph.

Coastguards said that "playing chicken and wave dodging" in such conditions was "just not worth risking your life for - sometimes the waves will win".

Translink in Northern Ireland is issuing live updates on bus and train services from its Twitter page - so far it's reporting some delays to trains.

Dublin Airport has now cancelled up to 125 flights as Ophelia moves towards Ireland.

All updates can be found on the airport's website, external.

Major outages in parts of Cork and Kerry have left close to 3,000 people without power this morning.

Some 5,000 customers are currently without electrical power in the south of Ireland, Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports.

Universities and colleges have suspended classes across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland as the countries brace for Ophelia.

The storm is expected to make landfall in County Kerry between 09:00 and 10:00 BST.

So far, Queen's University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, and the University of Limerick, external have all closed.

Schools in both countries have also closed.

Image source, Getty Images

Wales is expected to be hit by strong winds later as a result of Ophelia, but for the time being early risers have been enjoying idyllic weather and an unseasonably hot morning.

This fisherman was photographed enjoying the morning in Penarth, while the Met Office has also recorded a temperature of 22C in Aberystwyth.

The Irish Foreign Ministry, which includes the country's passport office, is closed due to adverse weather caused by Ophelia.

Staff have been told to not come in to work.

People have been told to avoid Gleanveagh National Park, in Donegal, and Wicklow National Park.

A secondary school in Mullion, Cornwall, has closed amid concerns that a temporary roofing structure might be "unsafe" during high winds caused by Ophelia.

Mullion School, external said in a statement that the "safety of our staff and students is paramount".

Ophelia is expected to bring winds of up to 80mph (130km/h) and will first hit Ireland, before moving up to Northern Ireland.

Heavy rain and winds will also batter the west coast of England and Wales on Monday.

The stormy weather will hit Scotland by Tuesday, but the winds are expected to dissipate.

The remnants of Hurricane Ophelia are due to make landfall in the British Isles on the 30th anniversary of the Great Storm.

On 16 October 1987 the Great Storm battered the south coast of England, killing 18 people and causing £1bn of damage.

The storm will forever be synonymous with Michael Fish's understated forecast, where he dismissed suggestions a hurricane would hit the British Isles.

Although it was not a hurricane, the storm proved hugely destructive, and fatal.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Damien English, the Irish Republic's housing minister, said the country was preparing for what it expected to be "the worst weather event for over 50 years".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government's main concern was dealing with localised flooding.

"We're asking people to stay at home when they can and avoid unnecessary travel."

He added that the storm would pass "quite quickly".

Image source, Getty Images

Up to 90 flights to and from Dublin Airport have been cancelled, as the country prepares for Ophelia.

Aer Lingus, British Airways, Air France, Cityjet, Emirates and KLM have all cancelled some services.

Ryanair has also cancelled a number of flights from Dublin, Belfast International, and Cork airports as a result of the adverse weather conditions, external.

Full information on Dublin Airport departures and arrivals can be found on the airport's website, external.

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The Met Office has issued an amber warning for Ophelia in Northern Ireland, which will be active from 15:00 BST, but what is an amber warning?

The forecaster says disruption from amber-category winds could include falling trees or power lines, disruption to road, rail and ferry transport, and danger to life from large waves on the coast.

The Irish government has deployed the army to coastal counties as the country prepares for the storm brought by Ophelia.

Met Eireann has advised people to remain indoors as gusts pose a "potential danger to life".

Meteorologists say it is the most powerful storm ever to have formed so far east in the Atlantic.

Ireland's Met Eireann is advising people to remain indoors as the Republic of Ireland braces itself for Ex-Hurricane Ophelia.

It has advised people to remain indoors in certain areas from the following times:

• 07:00: The coastal areas of counties Cork and Kerry
• 09:00 The remaining parts of Munster
• 12:00: South Leinster and Galway
• 13:00: Dublin and the remaining parts of Leinster
• 15:00: North Connacht and Ulster