Trains axed and schools shut amid 'extreme and real' threat as Storm Eowyn blasts Britain with 108mph hurricane winds

24 January 2025, 05:49 | Updated: 24 January 2025, 07:06

Schools have been closed and people have been warned not to travel this morning as 100mph hurricane-force winds batter the UK.

As Storm Eowyn hits, a rare red “danger to life” warning is in place for millions of Brits.

Rail services and flights have been axed, with Storm Eowyn likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and cause power cuts, the Met Office warned.

Winds of 108mph were recorded on the Galway coast at around 4am, while most areas are expected to experience closer to 80mph gusts.

It comes after millions were sent an emergency alert to their mobile phones warning of the danger Eowyn poses.

Read more: Storm Eowyn hits UK: Full list of closures as Brits brace for 100mph winds and 'danger to life' warning issued

The Cabinet Office alert at around 6pm on Thursday in response to the storm was the largest real-life use of the emergency system to date.

Rare 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 to 90mph are expected widely inland in the warning areas, with speeds of up 100mph likely along coasts, the forecaster said.

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 reaching 60 to 70mph will be widespread in these warning areas.

There is a yellow wind warning covering most of the UK for the entirety of Friday and smaller yellow warnings for snow in Scotland, from 6am to midnight, and rain in south-west England and Wales until 9am.

Ireland’s deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has urged people to stay at home and check in on vulnerable people.

“A red alert has been issued for the entire of Northern Ireland,” Ms Pengelly said.

'This is highly unusual, this means between 7am and 2pm tomorrow there is a likelihood of widespread disruption, danger to life and damage to buildings, and our strong advice and the advice of the PSNI is to stay at home if at all possible.'

A slew of rail companies have axed services on Friday morning, raising the potential of commuter chaos across much of Britain.

ScotRail suspended all services across Scotland on Friday, saying it "would not be safe to operate passenger services due to forecast weather conditions".

In a statement posted on X, ScotRail said: "With the safety of customers and staff of paramount importance, we will not be safe to operate passenger services due to the forecast weather conditions across Scotland during #StormEowyn.

"All ScotRail services are suspended on Friday January 24.

"We strongly advise you not to travel, as there will be no train services and no alternative transport will be available."

A number of train companies including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, CrossCountry and Grand Central have also told customers not to travel on routes across parts of north Wales, Scotland and northern England with no services running.

Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport said they were limiting airport operations on Friday, with the former citing a "significant level of flight cancellations" while Belfast International warned of significant disruption to flights.

Passengers and motorists in areas covered by red and amber weather warnings have been told to avoid travel "unless absolutely essential".

Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan said: "Our advice to any road user is not travelling, and that's really the message we want to get across today.

"It's really unusual for us to have a red weather warning and that advice is in place for the duration of that warning."

In a statement at the Scottish Parliament, First Minister John Swinney said: "The storm could bring winds up to 100mph.

"The Met Office advice is clear, the potential impacts include danger to life, structural damage to property and transport and power disruptions.

"We have to be clear, people should not travel.

"Our message is simple, please follow the advice from the Met Office and the police, take this seriously and stay safe."

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 both closed overnight due to strong winds.

Further south, the M48 Severn Bridge was closed due to strong winds, while the Tamar Bridge on the A38 between Devon and Cornwall was closed to high-sided vehicles.

Calmac Ferries on Scotland's west coast and Steam Packet Ferries between Heysham and the Isle of Man both announced Friday's planned sailings had been cancelled.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland described the storm as an "exceptional weather event" and said it was expected to bring the strongest winds seen in the country since 1998.

RAC Breakdown advised motorists in warnings areas to stay safe by parking away from trees, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel, avoid coastal routes and watch out for debris.

Some 4.5 million people received emergency alerts on their phones warning of the incoming storm in the "largest real life use of the tool to date" on Thursday.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "The Met Office has issued a red warning for wind on Friday January 24, meaning there is a danger to life across Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.

"In light of the deteriorating weather conditions and associated disruption, and in consultation with the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive, the Cabinet Office will issue emergency alerts early this evening to people affected by the warnings in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.

"The emergency alert system will send a message to every compatible mobile phone in the areas at most risk, containing information about the weather warnings and guidance on how to stay safe."

Further amber and yellow weather warnings for wind and rain have also been issued across Saturday and Sunday.