The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning ahead of Storm Éowyn (Image: Getty)
The Met Office has issued a as Storm Éowyn looks set to crash into the UK with winds of up to 90mph.
The latest warnings have been issued for parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland for Friday between 7am to 5pm.
It warns “very strong winds associated with causing very dangerous conditions with widespread disruption and significant impacts expected”.
Flying debris resulting in danger to life is expected, along with large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and homes.
“Very dangerous driving conditions” with fallen trees on roads, power cuts, damage to buildings and homes with roofs blown off and power lines brought down are also expected.
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Met Office has issued several yellow and red alerts for parts of the UK. (Image: Met Office)
The has also warned that “roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to the bus, train, ferry services, and flights.”
Strong winds are likely to impact areas in Northern Ireland on Friday, with the warning in place from 7am to 2pm on Friday (January 24).
While the areas in Scotland will experience unsettled conditions between 10am to 5pm, the has warned.
It read: “Southwesterly then westerly winds will rapidly increase from west to east Friday mid-morning onwards into the afternoon, with peak gusts of 80-90 mph fairly widely and perhaps up to 100 mph along exposed western coasts.
“This brings the risk of significant disruption to transport and power supplies as well as dangerous conditions outdoors. Winds will gradually ease through Friday evening.”
Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “We reserve the issuing of Red Warnings for the most severe weather which represents a likely danger to life and severe disruption, and that is the case with Storm Éowyn.
“While it will be widely very windy on Friday, with additional hazards from rain and snow, the strongest winds and most significant impacts are likely in Northern Ireland and central and southwestern parts of Scotland within the Red Warning areas, where winds could gust 80-90 mph quite widely for a time, and potentially up to 100 mph for exposed coasts in particular.
“Storm Éowyn is a multi-hazard event, with snow likely for some, rain for many and strong wings for much of the UK. As a result, a number of weather warnings have been issued, with all parts of the UK covered by one warning at some point on Friday.
“Storm Éowyn is expected to cross Northern Ireland early on Friday morning. It will then continue northeast across the northern half of Scotland during Friday afternoon and is expected to be centred near Shetland during Friday evening.
“It’s important to note that even those away from the immediate Red Warning areas will still likely see disruptive weather, with travel plans likely to be severely impacted, as well as the possibility of power cuts for some.”
Areas to be impacted by strong winds:
Northern Ireland
- County Antrim
- County Armagh
- County Down
- County Fermanagh
- County Londonderry
- County Tyrone
Central, Tayside & Fife
- Clackmannanshire
- Falkirk
- Fife
- Stirling
SW Scotland, Lothian Borders
- Dumfries and Galloway
- East Lothian
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian Council
- Scottish Borders
- West Lothian
Strathclyde
- Argyll and Bute
- East Ayrshire
- East Dunbartonshire
- East Renfrewshire
- Glasgow
- Inverclyde
- North Ayrshire
- North Lanarkshire
- Renfrewshire
- South Ayrshire
- South Lanarkshire
- West Dunbartonshire