Record breaking 114mph winds cause ‘unprecedented’ damage as hundreds of flights cancelled

Storm Eowyn has broken records in Ireland after 114mph winds hit the island, the strongest since records have begun the Irish forecaster has said.

The Irish forecaster said that gust of 183kmh had been recorded at Mace Head, Co Galway, at 5am, which beat the previous record high of 182kmh (113mph) set in January 1945 in Foynes, Co Limerick.

Residents have been urged to stay at home while schools have been closed and people warned not to travel on Friday, as the severe weather is set to pose a danger to life in parts of the UK.

Rare red weather warnings are active in Northern Ireland from 7am with the Met Office warning of damage buildings, uprooted trees and power cuts.

The warning will spread to Scotland at 10am, while amber and yellow warnings are in place across the rest of the UK on Friday. The storm has already caused extensive and widespread damage to the electricity network, with power outages affecting 560,000 homes, farms and businesses in the Republic of Ireland, with more than 93,000 impacted in Northern Ireland.

British Airways has grounded more than 20 flights, while Dublin Airport has canelled 110 departures.

The Met Office said winds would pick up rapidly during Friday morning’, bringing peak gusts of 80-90mph, and up to 100mph along some exposed coasts.

Key Points

• Storm Eowyn breaks Irish wind speed records as it reaches 114mph

• At least 334 flights axed affecting around 50,000 passengers

• Met Office warns of danger to life as Britain faces 90mph winds

• Millions receive emergency alert sounds on mobile phones

• 715,000 properties without power in Ireland

Storm Eowyn leaves 20,000 Scottish Power customers without electricity

12:45 , Holly Evans

20,000 Scottish Power customers across the centre and south of the country are without electricity due to Storm Eowyn.

The energy provider says fallen trees and debris have affected power lines across the region.

Several repair teams have mobilised across the area in order to restore power.

Scottish Power staff have braved high winds in order to undertake the repairs, and the company says it has contacted around 75,000 customers to inform them of a number of warm hubs for those without electricity.

The company has also arranged food vans and has offered hotels to customers in urgent need.

In pictures: Ambulance attend crash scene in Durham

12:31 , Holly Evans

Multi-mullion euro playing facility blown away

12:22 , Holly Evans

A multimillion-euro indoor playing facility in Co Mayo has been blown down during the storm.

Connacht GAA’s Air Dome was destroyed as winds ripped through the facility in Bekan, near Ballyhaunis.

The NUI Galway dome, which opened in 2020, hosted indoor games for all levels and ages during all weather conditions.

In a statement, Connacht GAA said: “Unfortunately, the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome was significantly damaged by Storm Eowyn overnight, thankfully no-one was hurt.

“Thanks to everyone for the support, it is our full intention to rebuild this magnificent facility as soon as possible.”

60-year-old trees split in half as strong winds batter Galway

12:10 , Holly Evans

Several trees, which have been part of a Galway community for more than 60 years, have been uprooted or split in half because of “crazy” winds caused by Storm Eowyn.

Cathriona Heffernan, 25, from Galway city in Ireland, described the strong winds as “scary” after she captured a video of fallen trees, which she said has been part of the community for more than six decades.

The sports scientist said: “(I) got woken up before the red alert even started, the winds were crazy.

“Those trees have been there 60 years and outdate the houses even. It’s sad seeing them down all the same but just glad no damage was caused by them.”

She said she saw five fallen trees, which left large holes in the ground from where they were uprooted by the strong winds.

“One of them split right in half so it’s scary to think just how strong the wind was to be able to do that.”

2,500 people in Scotland without power with numbers likely to increase

11:57 , Holly Evans

More than 2,500 Scots are without power as a result of Storm Eowyn, according to a major energy provider.

The Scottish and Southern Electricity Network (SSEN) said on Friday that 2,621 customers are currently without power across the country – a number it said is likely to increase throughout the day.

As of 10am, SSEN says power has been restored to 6,568 customers who were also previously without electricity.

The company said it has “at least 10 times” the usual number of staff working in response to the storm.

2,621 customers are currently off supply, and SSEN says the figure is likely to rise throughout the day.

Ryanair flight diverts from Edinburgh back to Stansted

11:56 , Alice Reynolds

Ryanair flight RK596 from Stansted airport, Essex, to Edinburgh airport, reached the skies above the Scottish capital but was unable to land.

After circling over the Borders it returned to Stansted.

The Boeing 737 jet departed Stansted at 8.35am and touched down at the same airport two hours and 44 minutes later, at 11.19am.

Ryanair has cancelled its 1.55pm departure from Stansted to Edinburgh.

Pictured | Workers remove a fallen tree on Regent Road, Edinburgh

11:39 , Jabed Ahmed

More than 1,000 flights cancelled across UK and Ireland

11:23

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 1,070 flights scheduled to operate to/from airports in the UK or Ireland on Friday have been cancelled.

That is equivalent to 20% of all flights.

The worst affected airports in terms of the number of cancellations are:

• Dublin (119 departures, 109 arrivals)

• Edinburgh (81 departures, 77 arrivals)

• Heathrow (50 departures, 58 arrivals)

• Glasgow (43 departures, 42 arrivals)

Met Office red weather warning issued for more of Scotland

11:13 , Holly Evans

The Met Office has extended its red weather warning to cover more of Scotland.

The warning, in place until 5pm on Friday, now covers as far south as Lockerbie on the south-west of Scotland.

The Met Office made the announcement at around 11am on X.

The latest of Storm Eowyn in pictures

10:44 , Holly Evans

Met Office reveal top wind gusts across UK

10:38 , Holly Evans

The Met Office has reported the latest wind gusts speeds for the UK, with gusts recorded up to 93mph in Aberdaron, Gwynedd.

Other strong gusts have been recorded in Killowen, with winds reaching 92mph, and Capel Curig in Wales which reached 87mph at 4am.

What comes after Storm Eowyn? Future storm names for 2025 revealed

10:29 , Holly Evans

The Met Office has already confirmed the storm names to be used across 2024 and 2025 – as the UK hit by Storm Bert.

The new storms list – first launched in 2015 – for each year generally runs from early September until late August the following year, coinciding with the beginning of autumn.

James, Lewis and Mavis are all included in the new list in honour of figures from the Met Office’s 170-year history.

Read the full article here:

What comes after Storm Eowyn? Future storm names for 2025 revealed

Flights from Newcastle cancelled throwing football team plans in disarray

10:23 , Holly Evans

Newcastle’s travel plans ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Southampton have been thrown into disarray by Storm Eowyn.

Dozens of flights due to depart from Newcastle Airport on Friday morning were cancelled as high winds battered the North East.

The squad have in the past travelled on the team coach in similar circumstances, but weather warnings suggest that may not be a viable alternative.

Howe said: “It is a long journey, and also there’s no guarantee with the wind and the conditions, and what you think might be an eight, nine-hour journey might turn into a 12, 13-hour journey.

“We’ve got to be careful, I think, in that respect, so I think it’s probably best that we look to do that.

“But nothing is guaranteed. We’ll seek advice and try to make the right decision.”

Gust of 93mph recorded in north Wales

10:09 , Holly Evans

A gust of 93mph has been recorded at Aberdaron in Gwynedd, north Wales – the strongest gust so far today in the UK, the Met Office said.

Elsewhere, wind speeds have reached 92mph at Killowen, County Down in Northern Ireland; 87mph at Capel Curig in Conwy, north Wales; 86mph at Lake Vyrnwy in Powys, north Wales; 86mph at Dundrennan in Kirkcudbrightshire, south-west Scotland; 85mph at Thomastown in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland; and 85mph at Orlock Head in County Down, also in Northern Ireland.

The strongest gust ever recorded in the UK is 142 mph, at Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire in eastern Scotland, on February 13 1989.

Watch: Weather presenter lashed by wind and rain as power goes out during live broadcast

10:00 , Holly Evans

At least 334 flights axed affecting around 50,000 passengers

09:47 , Holly Evans

Train operator ScotRail has suspended all services across Scotland on Friday, saying it “would not be safe to operate passenger services”, with Calmac and Western ferry services also cancelled because of weather conditions.

Other services impacted by the storm include Avanti West Coast, LNER, West Midlands Railway, Lumo, Transport for Wales and Southern Western Railway.

Air travel has also been disrupted, with at least 334 flights axed across airports in Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow, affecting around 50,000 passengers, according to analysis of flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

UK Civil Aviation Authority warn airlines of ‘duty of care’ to passengers

09:46 , Holly Evans

A spokesperson from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Storm Eowyn is likely to bring considerable disruption to many looking to fly from UK airports today.

“If a flight faces lengthy delays, airlines have a duty of care to look after their passengers, including providing food and drink, and accommodation if overnight.

“We will not hesitate to take action against any airlines not following these guidelines.”

Watch: Storm Eowyn batters parts of Ireland

09:35 , Holly Evans

Three UK investigating wifi call issue after reports of 999 connection failures

09:32 , Holly Evans

Mobile operator Three UK has said its services have “almost returned to normal” following an issue with users making calls on Thursday, adding it is continuing to investigate reports some people were unable to make 999 calls.

The company said it is now “urgently investigating” an issue its monitoring team had picked up with calls connected through wifi following the outage.

In a statement, the company said it had seen a “normal volume of 999 calls” be connected on Thursday, and its internal monitoring said the service is “working fully” on Friday, but it is investigating reports from some users that they had failed to be connected when trying to dial 999.

The operator also warned customers they could experience further service issues on Friday as Storm Eowyn hits the UK and Ireland.

In a statement on X, Three UK said: “Following an issue affecting voice calls yesterday, services have almost returned to normal overnight.

“Our monitoring has picked up an issue with calls connected via WiFI which we’re investigating urgently.

“Today, we also expect to see an additional impact on our service due to Storm Eowyn in some areas.

“We’ve deployed extra engineering resources & planning for these areas, so we can bring sites that are impacted back online as soon as it’s safe to do so.

“A normal volume of 999 calls were connected yesterday and monitoring confirms the service is working fully this morning. We continue to investigate the small number of reports we received about 999 call failures.

“We apologise sincerely for the inconvenience caused by the issues on our voice network.”

150,0000 premises at risk of water supply issues

09:28 , Holly Evans

Approximately 150,000 premises in Ireland are at risk of water supply issues due to power outages affecting the water network.

Irish Water said the majority of these customers should still have water due to storage in reservoirs.

The agency said significant disruption is expected due to Storm Eowyn, adding that its crews will begin restoring supply when it is safe to do so.

In a statement, it added: “In areas where supply has been disrupted, most properties should have adequate storage in their attic tanks for hygiene purposes for at least 24 hours.

“However customers are urged to conserve water where possible in order to protect supply while the outages are resolved.”

Watch: Planes struggle to land at Heathrow Airport amid heavy wind and rain

09:26 , Holly Evans

Storm Eowyn school closures: Find out which are shut near you amid rare red weather warnings

09:18 , Holly Evans

Thousands of schools have been closed on Friday as Storm Eowyn batters the country with winds of over 100mph.

The Met Office has issed two rare red weather warnings in Scotland and Northern Ireland, as Storm Eowyn is likely to damage buildings, uproot trees, cause power cuts, and bring a danger to life.

Elsewhere, every part of the UK is impacted by either a yellow or amber weather warning as many face disruption to their lives and journeys.

Read the full article here:

Find out which schools are shut amid Storm Eowyn

Flood alerts issued across Scotland

09:10 , Holly Evans

The Met Office red warning runs from 10am to 5pm and covers the central belt including Glasgow and Edinburgh, stretching north on the west coast to Jura in Argyll and Bute and south to Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has a total of seven flood alerts in place, in Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire and Arran, Dumfries and Galloway, Skye and Lochaber, west central Scotland, Wester Ross and the Western Isles.

It also has three, more severe, flood warnings in effect from Ayr to Troon in South Ayrshire, and East Luce Bay and West Luce Bay South in Dumfries and Galloway.

Schools and nurseries across Scotland are closed, except in five council areas, while non-urgent planned hospital procedures have been postponed in NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Lothian.

Storm to be a ‘damaging, dangerous and destructive’ event

09:01 , Holly Evans

The chairman of Ireland’s National Emergency Co-ordination Group, Keith Leonard, said Storm Eowyn will be one of the most severe storms Ireland has seen.

“It is going to be a damaging, dangerous and destructive weather event,” he said,

“The forecast winds will bring severe conditions which will constitute a risk to life and property.

“Our most important message today is that everybody needs to shelter in place for the duration of all red warnings.

“We are likely to see significant and widespread power outages, so I would encourage everyone to prepare ahead. Make sure phones, torches and laptops are fully charged.”

Scottish minister urges residents not to travel

08:53 , Holly Evans

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister has urged Scots in the central belt to follow the advice not to travel.

Appearing on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Kate Forbes said: “It is so important that people follow Police Scotland’s advice not to travel because if people stay at home and don’t travel then it means they don’t invite that risk to themselves.”

Ms Forbes also warned that recovery from Storm Eowyn could “take longer than we all hope”.

“It is important our expectations are managed by how quickly things can return to normal and there may well be continuing disruption tomorrow,” she said.

NI’s First Minister urges people to stay at home

08:52 , Jabed Ahmed

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Michelle O’Neill has warned there is a “genuine threat to life and property”, describing the region as currently being “in the eye of the storm”.

The top-level red warning for wind covering Northern Ireland came into force at 7am.

Ms O’Neill urged people to stay at home.

“We’re asking the public to be very safe, to be very cautious, to take every precaution to ensure that they don’t take any unnecessary travel, please just stay at home if you can,” she told BBC Radio Ulster.

“We’re in the eye of the storm now. We are in the period of the red alert.

“People can see for themselves, the wind has been very much picking up overnight. We’ve just been briefed by the Civil Contingencies Group, by the PSNI who are in the lead in terms of the storm response and they tell us that the situation is, as we have outlined yesterday, we’re still in a period of jeopardy in terms of the damage that potentially could be caused as a result of the storm.

“I think the real message we want to get across to your listeners this morning is to please be ultra cautious, to please stay at home if you can and we will see how the storm will rage but the scale of the storm, the level of wind that we’ve experienced across the island, which is something that’s never been seen before. The threat is real, and we only can emphasise to people, please take every precaution that you absolutely can.”

In pictures: Storm Eowyn batters Ireland and part of UK

08:48 , Holly Evans

715.000 homes without power across Ireland

08:43 , Holly Evans

There are 715,000 homes, farms and businesses without power across the Republic of Ireland.

The Irish Electricity Supply Board (ESB) said there had been “unprecedented, widespread and extensive” damage to electricity infrastructure nationwide.

ESB said it would take a “significant number of days” to restore power to all affected customers.

Travel chaos: Thousands of trains, hundreds of flights and dozens of ferries cancelled

08:41 , Jabed Ahmed

Thousands of trains and hundreds of flights and ferries axed as Storm Eowyn hits

Storm Eowyn breaks Irish wind speed records as it reaches 114mph

08:33 , Holly Evans

A wind speed of 183kmh (114mph) brought by Storm Eowyn has been recorded in Ireland, the fastest since records began, Irish forecaster Met Eireann said.

Residents across Ireland and Northern Ireland have been urged to stay at home as the storm sweeps across the island.

The top-level red warning for wind came into effect in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from early on Friday morning.

Schools and colleges across the island are closed and public transport has come to a halt amid powerful gusts, with warnings of danger to life, fallen electric lines, damaged infrastructure and widespread power outages.

Met Eireann reported that a gust of 183kmh had been recorded at Mace Head, Co Galway, at 5am, just above the previous record high of 182kmh (113mph) set in January 1945 in Foynes, Co Limerick.

Nearly 100,000 homes without power in Northern Ireland

08:31 , Jabed Ahmed

More than 93,000 homes and businesses are currently without power in Northern Ireland, NIE Networks has said.

The provider said Storm Eowyn was causing “widespread damage” to the electricity network.

It warned that restoration efforts will take significant time as crews cannot begin work until it is safe to do so.

A statement said: “We anticipate we will begin assessing the damage to the network after 2pm once the red weather warning has been lifted.”

Rail: fallen trees halt trains on some lines in England

08:19 , Simon Calder

While trains in England south of Preston and York are running, disruption from Storm Eowyn is hitting tens of thousands of commuters.

East Midlands Railway says: “There are trees blocking the railway between Sheffield and Stockport and between Manchester Oxford Road and Warrington Central. We are currently unable to run most of our trains between Sheffield and Liverpool.

South Western Railway says: “All lines from Hook towards Basingstoke are blocked by a tree.”

National Rail says: “Strong winds can blow trees into infrastructure, damaging the overhead lines that power electric trains. The winds can mean it’s unsafe to carry out repairs at height – or with certain machinery until the winds have dropped. Trains may have to run at a reduced speed causing delays to your journey.”

Several routes operated by Northern trains closed

08:13 , Holly Evans

Train operator Northern said many of its routes are closed because of severe weather.

Some lines are blocked between Manchester Oxford Road and Warrington Central because of a fallen tree.

Services on these routes are also being disrupted by severe weather: Between Bradford Forster Square and Ilkley; Bradford Forster Square and Skipton; Leeds and Bradford Forster Square; Leeds and Ilkley; and Leeds and Skipton.

Watch | ScotRail services cancelled as Storm Eowyn batters Scotland

08:11 , Jabed Ahmed

Storm Eowyn: How rare are red weather warnings and what is the danger?

08:02 , Jabed Ahmed

Storm Eowyn: How rare are red weather warnings and what is the danger?

Roads: key bridge and passes across the Pennines closed

07:51 , Simon Calder

National Highways says: “The M48 Severn Bridge in South Gloucestershire is closed in both directions between J1 (Aust) and J2 (Chepstow) due to strong winds associated with Storm Eowyn. Traffic is being diverted via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge. This bridge is fully open to all traffic.

“The A66 between North Yorkshire (A1M) and Cumbria (M6) is closed in both directions to all vehicles due to strong winds associated with Storm Eowyn.

“The A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire/South Yorkshire is closed to all vehicles in both directions between the A616 (Flouch) and the A57 (Hollingworth).

“Road users travelling across the Pennines are advised to plan ahead and seek alternate routes.”

Police Scotland has advised the public to avoid travel on the roads in the red weather warning area.

Mapped: Amber weather warnings in Scotland and North England

07:41 , Jabed Ahmed

Watch | Storm Eowyn: Heavy winds and rain lash Galway Aquarium in ‘worst weather ever seen’

07:32 , Jabed Ahmed

Mapped: Yellow weather warnings across entire country

07:23 , Jabed Ahmed

More than four million receive emergency alert as UK braces for Storm Eowyn

07:14 , Jabed Ahmed

More than four million people across Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland have received emergency alerts on their phones in the “largest real life use of the tool to date”, the Government said.

The emergency alert system sent a message to every compatible mobile phone in areas covered by a red weather warning for wind and guidance on how to stay safe.

Read the full report below:

More than four million receive emergency alert as UK braces for Storm Eowyn

Flights: More than 200 grounded, affecting 30,000 passengers

07:08 , Simon Calder

Hundreds of flights to, from and within the northern half of the UK have been cancelled ahead of the extreme winds brought by Storm Eowyn. The key airports affected are Edinburgh with around 90 cancellations; Glasgow with 66; Aberdeen with 44; and Belfast City with 50. Belfast International, City of Derry and Inverness add another 40 cancellations.

Grounded flights include Emirates between Glasgow and Dubai, and Qatar Airways between Edinburgh and Doha. Both flights would have been carrying hundreds of passengers to the Gulf, many with onward connections to Asia, Africa and Australia.

Ryanair has grounded links from the Scottish capital to Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Malaga and Venice.

In total, The Independent estimates that about 30,000 passengers have had their flight plans wrecked because of the extreme weather.

Under air passengers’ rights rules, travellers whose flights are grounded are entitled to be flown as soon as possible to their destination, and provided with meals and – if necessary – hotels while they are waiting.

Jet2 has delayed rather cancelled holiday flights, with one Glasgow-Rome flight held for 16 hours. Passengers are now expected to arrive in the Italian capital in the early hours of Saturday morning rather than at lunchtime on Friday.

114mph winds recorded in Ireland

07:04 , Jabed Ahmed

A wind speed of 114mph brought by Storm Eowyn has been recorded in Ireland, the fastest since records began, forecaster Met Eireann said.

‘Powerful bomb cyclone’ to hit UK and Europe

06:55 , Jane Dalton

The storm poised to hit Scotland and Northern Ireland is predicted to be a “powerful bomb cyclone”.

A storm is considered a bomb cyclone when the barometric pressure falls at least 0.71 of an inch of mercury (24 millibars) in 24 hours, a measure that could be more than doubled by this storm’s intensification, AccuWeather says.

AccuWeather lead international forecaster Jason Nicholls said: “Storm Eowyn is expected to produce wind gusts of 90mph to 110 mph across parts of Ireland and the UK.

“Powerful winds will reach northwestern Spain, northwestern France, Denmark and southern Norway through Saturday.

“Destructive wind gusts could lead to power outages, travel delays and business disruptions. Flying debris is a serious risk to people and structures.”

How rare are red weather warnings and what is the danger?

06:00 , Jane Dalton

Red weather warnings are the rarest kind, issued when conditions pose a danger to life:

Storm Eowyn: How rare are red weather warnings and what is the danger?

Most dangerous storm in Irish history

05:15 , Jane Dalton

Ireland is set to face one of the most dangerous storms in its history, with wind speeds of up to 80mph inland across the country.

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group said Storm Eowyn would be one of the “most severe” Ireland has experienced.

Keith Leonard, the group’s chairman, said it would be “destructive, dangerous and disruptive”.

Met Eireann warned of storms of “incredible intensity”.

03:40 , Jane Dalton

Much of England and Wales will have hazy sunshine on Friday, while Scotland suffers winds of 90mph, forecasters say.

Main coastal lines to close

02:05 , Jane Dalton

Network Rail said it has taken “the difficult decision” to close the West Coast Main Line north of Preston and the East Coast Main Line north of Newcastle for much of Friday.

Passengers on the East Coast main line, which links London King’s Cross with northeast England and Scotland, will face disruption all weekend.

On Friday passengers are advised not to travel north of York.

Passengers booked on LNER can use their tickets for Friday any time up to Monday – but at the weekend London-Peterborough is closed for engineering work.

Lisa Angus, of Network Rail, said: “We have been preparing for the severe impacts of Storm Eowyn all week and will have scores of workers ready to deal with any incidents which occur, such as flash flooding or fallen trees and other items blocking the tracks.

“We ask residents living by the railway to tie down loose garden items, like trampolines or gazebos, which pose a risk of blowing onto the railway and could cause further unnecessary delays for passengers and freight services.”

Blast from the past

01:05 , Jane Dalton

Remember Storm Ashley, Storm Bert or Storm Darragh? Catch up on all the weather warnings for fog, winds, snow, ice, flooding and storms since 2023 here.

00:20 , Jane Dalton

All of the UK will be battered by high winds, but Scotland and Northern Ireland in particular, the Met Office says.

In pictures: Storm approaching

Thursday 23 January 2025 23:20 , Jane Dalton

Castles and National Trust centres to close

Thursday 23 January 2025 22:25 , Jane Dalton

The National Trust for Scotland says many of its attractions will be closed on Friday and Saturday, and Historic Environment Scotland says several castles will close, including Edinburgh and Stirling.

The whole of the UK is covered by at least one yellow weather warning on Friday, with warnings for snow, wind and rain in place, as it braces for the effect of the fifth named storm of the season.

An amber warning covers the south of Scotland and most of the central belt on Friday until 9pm.

A yellow wind warning is also in place for the whole of Scotland throughout Friday, and a yellow warning for snow covering much of the country runs from 3am until noon.

Forth Road Bridge set to shut

Thursday 23 January 2025 21:40 , Jane Dalton

Forecast winds of 80mph around the Forth bridges will close the Forth Road Bridge, road management firm Bear Scotland says.

The Queensferry Crossing and Clackmannanshire Bridge would also be closed to high-sided vehicles, motorcycles and cars with trailers or roof boxes, it said.

Meanwhile, west coast ferry operator CalMac has cancelled all services across its network.

Scotland’s transport secretary Fiona Hyslop warned of widespread disruption to the transport network.

She said: “I would urge people to follow police advice and avoid travel in the area affected by the red warning for wind. If you do need to travel, your journey is likely to be badly disrupted and there will likely [sic] be cancellations to rail, ferry and air services.”

Scottish first minister cancels hospital visit as he tells people not to travel

Thursday 23 January 2025 21:00 , Jane Dalton

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.”

Mr Swinney chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Room – Scotland’s answer to Cobra – on Thursday afternoon, and cancelled a planned visit to the A&E department at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee on Friday.

The Scottish Parliament itself will be closed all day on Friday because of the storm, with only essential staff on site.

Areas where schools will close

Thursday 23 January 2025 20:25 , Jane Dalton

Schools and nurseries across Scotland plan to close, except in five council areas.

Orkney and Shetland councils have no plans to close schools, while Aberdeenshire said some would close, Aberdeen City Council said on Thursday afternoon said no decision had been taken. Head teachers will decide on closures in Highland Council.

Belfast International Airport warns of ‘limited operations’

Thursday 23 January 2025 19:50 , Jane Dalton

Services at Belfast International Airport will be limited during Friday’s red weather warning as Northern Ireland prepares for Storm Eowyn, a spokesperson said.

Police have advised that people should not travel on roads in the Met Office’s red weather warning area, and passengers and staff are urged to follow that advice, they added.

“The airport remains in conversations with airline partners and will seek to facilitate their operations where we are able to do so. Airlines will make decisions on the operations of their own flights.

“Passengers should continue to contact their airline for their latest flight information. This is a fast-moving situation and flight schedules will continue to change over the coming hours so passengers should continue to check with their airline throughout today and tomorrow.”

There will be no airport bus services during the warning period, they said.

BA cancels 76 Heathrow flights

Thursday 23 January 2025 19:20 , Jane Dalton

Exclusive:

British Airways has cancelled 76 domestic flights linking Scotland and Northern Ireland with London Heathrow.

They begin this evening, with eight departures grounded. The remaining 68 are morning and afternoon flights on Friday. They are:

ThursdayAberdeen: 2Belfast City: 1Edinburgh: 2Glasgow: 2Newcastle: 1

FridayAberdeen: 14Belfast City: 9Dublin: 8Edinburgh: 16Glasgow: 14Newcastle: 7

NHS boards cancel or postpone appointments and procedures

Thursday 23 January 2025 18:50 , Jane Dalton

NHS Lothian has cancelled all routine, non-urgent planned procedures on Friday due to the red weather warning and postponed most hospital outpatient appointments to protect patients and staff.

NHS Lanarkshire has also postponed all non-urgent appointments in hospital and in the community because people are being advised not to travel.

Professor Caroline Hiscox, chief executive of NHS Lothian, said: “We apologise to the patients affected by these cancellations and will contact them to arrange alternative appointments as soon as possible.

“Teams across Lothian have helped put robust plans in place to ensure that urgent and emergency care is still available, and we are grateful to them for their dedication and resilience.”

Colin Lauder, deputy chief executive of NHS Lanarkshire, said Police Scotland were advising the public not to travel in the affected areas between 10am and 5pm on Friday.

“We have therefore, unfortunately, had to take the decision to postpone all non-urgent outpatient clinics and appointments in the interests of safety.

National Express curtails coach routes

Thursday 23 January 2025 18:25 , Jane Dalton

Some National Express coach services will be curtailed on Friday because of Storm Eowyn, writes Simon Calder.

They were all due to run within the red weather warning area across Scotland and northeast England.

On the 182 route to Birmingham heading south, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Hamilton will not be served. Heading north, it will run to Glasgow but not Edinburgh.

The morning coach 591 from Glasgow via Edinburgh, Berwick and Alnwick to London will start in Newcastle.

A spokesperson for National Express said: “Safety is our number one priority. While most of our services are expected to operate as scheduled, we have cancelled or amended some services through Scotland during the red weather warning on Friday 24 January.

“We’re asking customers to check our website before travelling. We are closely monitoring the weather conditions and will update our website when there is new information to share.”

Loud emergency alerts sent to mobiles

Thursday 23 January 2025 18:16 , Jane Dalton

More than four million people across Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland have received loud emergency alerts on their phones in the “largest real life use of the tool to date”, the government said.

The emergency alert system sent a message to every compatible mobile phone in areas covered by a red weather warning for wind, a Cabinet Office spokesperson said on Thursday.

They said: “In [the] 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.

“Mobile phones will make a loud siren-like sound even if they are set on silent. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.

“Approximately 4.5 million people will receive the emergency alert in the largest real life use of the tool to date.”

Warning for drivers

Thursday 23 January 2025 17:58 , Jane Dalton

Drivers have been warned not to take to the roads unless absolutely necessary.

Red is the most severe of the three colour categories of warning, above yellow and amber.