The Road Safety Authority is urging motorists to be extremely careful today as Storm Dennis arrives.
Gusts of over 115km/hr have been recorded, and up to 30mm of rain are forecast in parts of Ireland in the coming days.
Met Éireann is warning of potential flooding as the severe winds and rain combine.
The national meteorological service has issued a Status Orange wind warning for two South-East counties in the south-east as Storm Dennis moves across Ireland.
The orange alert is in place for Wexford and Waterford until 8pm tonight where winds could gust up to 120 km/h, with the roof of a trailer torn off a truck in Kilmeaden.
In Tipperary the M7 has now reopened eastbound between J23 Moneygall to J22 Roscrea following a collision earlier this afternoon.
The stormy weather has also affected electricity supplies, with almost 5,000 homes and businesses across the country now without power following the arrival of Storm Dennis.
The worst affected area is in Rathmore, in County Kerry where over 1,700 have lost electricty.
ESB say crews are working to fix the problems, while the updates can be found at powercheck.ie.
The RSA's Brian Farrell says people should only drive if absolutely necessary.
"In heavy rain, visibility is reduced, the ability to stop your vehicle compared to normal, dry conditions is reduced," he said.
"It's important for you to slow down, it's important for you to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front.
"There's a chance of spot flooding, especially in coastal areas and also off national routes on country roads where there may be a dip in the road and there's a risk of water ponding."
