BERLIN (AP) — Schools will be shut in Germany's most populous state Thursday following storm warnings for part of the country.

The education minister for North Rhine-Westphalia said Wednesday that students should stay home to avoid being caught “in the eye of the storm.” Yvonne Gebauer urged parents to also keep young children in day care at home Thursday, if possible.

Authorities in the German state of Saarland, on the border with France, also announced a storm day off Thursday for students.

Germany's national weather service DWD has warned that a storm sweeping in from the northwest could bring gusts up to 120 kilometers per hour (75 miles per hour) Thursday. After a brief lull, a second storm is expected to hit northern Germany on Friday, it said.

Berlin's two zoos will close Thursday as a precaution, citing the potential risk caused by falling branches.

Across the eastern border in Poland, weather authorities are warning of strong winds across the country and a storm on the Baltic Sea coast in the coming days due to approaching Storm Dudley.

The Government Security Center is sending out text messages advising people to stay indoors late Wednesday and Thursday. It says the strong winds may case disruptions in energy supplies and difficult road conditions.