5 hours ago
2
Flights have been delayed, roads closed and ferry services cancelled as 100mph (160km/h) winds pose a danger to life in parts of the UK on Friday morning.
Rail services were suspended, with rare red weather warnings issued for Scotland and Northern Ireland, after the Met Office said Storm Éowyn was likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and trigger power cuts.
The train operator ScotRail suspended all services across Scotland on Friday and said it would not be safe to operate passenger services.
A wind speed of 114mph had been recorded in Ireland, the fastest since records began, the forecaster Met Éireann said.
Dozens of flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were cancelled, while Belfast International warned of significant disruption to flights. Dublin airport announced more than 110 scheduled departures and 110 arrivals had been cancelled on Friday.
CalMac Ferries on Scotland’s west coast and Steam Packet Ferries between Heysham and the Isle of Man announced Friday’s planned sailings had been cancelled.
A number of train companies, including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, CrossCountry and Grand Central, have halted services on routes across parts of north Wales, Scotland and northern England.
Passengers and motorists in areas covered by red and amber weather warnings have been told to avoid travel unless essential.
National Highways said the A66 between the A1M in North Yorkshire and M6 in Cumbria, as well as the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, were closed overnight due to strong winds.
Farther south, the M48 Severn Bridge was shut, while the Tamar Bridge on the A38 between Devon and Cornwall was closed to high-sided vehicles until 5am.
Avon and Somerset reported a number of roads had been blocked by fallen trees and motorists to take care.
In Wales, Gwent police confirmed emergency services were working to manage surface flooding on the B4598 between Raglan and Abergavenny.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland described the storm as an “exceptional weather event” that was expected to bring the strongest winds seen in the country since 1998.
Met Éireann reported the mean wind speed record of 81mph set in 1945 at Foynes, County Limerick, had been broken during the storm. The Irish weather service also said there had been gusts of up to 108mph in Mace Head, off Ireland’s west coast, by 4am on Friday.
Red warnings for wind have been issued by the Met Office in Northern Ireland from 7am until 2pm on Friday, and for western and central areas of Scotland between 10am and 5pm. Gusts of 80-90mph are expected inland in areas covered by warnings, with speeds of up to 100mph likely along coasts.
Amber wind warnings are also in place for Northern Ireland, the southern half of Scotland, northern England and north Wales between 6am and 9pm on Friday, and the northern half of Scotland from 1pm on Friday to 6am on Saturday. Winds of 60-70mph will be widespread in these areas.
There is a yellow wind warning covering most of the UK for the entirety of Friday. Smaller yellow warnings are in place for snow in Scotland, from 6am to midnight, and rain in south-west England and Wales until 9am.
RAC Breakdown advised motorists in warning areas to avoid parking vehicles near trees, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel, to stay away from coastal routes and watch out for debris.
About 4.5 million people received emergency alerts on their phones to warn of the incoming storm in the “largest real-life use of the tool to date” on Thursday.
Further amber and yellow weather warnings for wind and rain have been issued for Saturday and Sunday.
