Hundreds of schools have been advised to shut and people are being told not to travel ahead of the arrival of the ‘dangerous’ Storm Eowyn that could bring parts of the UK to a standstill.
The Met Office has issued dire warnings for ‘exceptional’ hurricane-force winds, with the worst of Storm Eowyn expected to strike from the early hours of Friday across Scotland and Northern Ireland, where winds could reach up to 100mph.
Forecasters say flying debris could result in danger to life and ‘very dangerous’ driving conditions because of fallen trees, as forecasters have even warned pet owners to keep their dogs on leads amid fears they could be swept away by strong waves on the coast.
It comes as a suspected mini tornado left behind a trail of destruction in Cornwall, blowing down trees, smashing cars and tearing down roofs.
Meanwhile, in the Republic of Ireland, this could be the storm of the century, BBC Weather said. Irish forecasters have already issued blanket red weather warnings covering all of the country for gales in excess of 80mph.
But forecasters are predicting that gusts could even reach up to 140mph on the west coast of Ireland and up to 110mph in the Western Isles of Scotland tomorrow.
The season’s fifth named storm could be so bad that BBC weather presenter Judith Ralston said: ‘This is one major storm. I’ve not seen anything like it in my career.’
Another weather expert warned that Storm Eowyn could bring the lowest pressure to Scotland since 1982, making it one of the ‘most intense’ storms to hit the country in recent history.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney told the country’s Parliament on Thursday that people in areas covered by the red weather warning should not travel, while Stormont’s Education Minister Paul Givan said the Education Authority had advised all schools in Northern Ireland to close on Friday.
The warning is in place in Northern Ireland from 7am to 2pm on Friday, and in parts of Scotland between 10am and 5pm.
Mr Givan said: ‘I understand this will impact on the work of schools and indeed on other businesses and services, but the decision has been taken to avoid any potential risk to life for children and young people as well as staff.
‘Schools should put plans in place today for remote learning so that pupils can study at home.’
A total of 19 local authorities in Scotland have now announced all schools in their areas will be closed because of Storm Eowyn on Friday.
Stirling, Falkirk and Angus councils all announced via social media that all of their schools would be shut with the red weather warning due to come into effect at 10am on Friday.
They join Glasgow, Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, Fife, North and South Lanarkshire, North Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, Midlothian, East and West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire and Falkirk councils, which have said all schools and nurseries will be closed.
Amber weather warnings for wind have been issued for northern England from 6am until 9pm, and a yellow weather warning covers most of southern England for the whole of Friday.
Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said on Thursday: ‘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 Eowyn.
‘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 south-western parts of Scotland within the red warning areas, where winds could gust 80-90mph quite widely for a time, and potentially up to 100mph for exposed coasts in particular.’
The AA has issued updated advice to people travelling in areas covered by the red weather warning.
Chris Wood, AA Patrol of the Year, said: ‘As the warning has risen from amber to red in the most northern and western areas of the UK, we urge drivers to consider whether their journey is necessary and if not, postpone
‘If you do need to travel, make sure you’re prepared for what you may encounter. Expect to come across fallen branches and other debris on the roads, especially in rural areas.
‘Allow extra time for your journey, as it’s likely to take longer than usual. Pack the essentials for emergencies in case you do break down – warm waterproof clothing, a torch and a flask of hot drink.
‘Ensure your mobile phone is fully charged and download the AA app and what3words to help us get to you faster if the worst should happen.’
Earlier today it was reported that parts of the UK could be brought to a standstill as the country is battered by ‘exceptional’ hurricane-force winds, torrential rain and heavy snow tomorrow.
Storm Eowyn could also spark travel hell, with Network Rail warning it is expected to bring ‘the strongest winds in a decade’ – as commuters were told to avoid travelling in parts of the north of the UK tomorrow.
Forecasters are warning of flying debris resulting in danger to life, as well as ‘very dangerous’ driving conditions because of fallen trees. There may also be power cuts, damage to buildings and homes, and delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights.
This also marks the first red weather warning issued for Northern Ireland since the Met Office moved to impact-based warnings in 2011.
STV meteorologist Sean Batty warned the storm could be one of the worst to hit Scotland since Hurricane ‘Bawbag’ (official name Friedhelm) in 2011.
But just weeks later, in January 2012, an even more powerful storm swept through central Scotland, leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
He said: ‘When it comes to storm intensity, we’d use central pressure to assess how powerful this storm is and ‘Bawbag’ reached a low pressure centre of 945mb over the Western Isles, the lowest pressure recorded in the UK since January 2000.
‘Even though the winds were stronger in the January 2012 storm, the intensity of the low wasn’t quite as strong as the one in December with a pressure recording of 952mb.
‘Currently it looks like Eowyn could see pressure drop to just below 940mb close to Tiree on Friday morning which could be the deepest storm centre recorded in the UK since a major storm in 1982 saw pressure drop to 937mb in Stornoway.’
It comes as Network Rail said it had taken the ‘difficult decision’ to close lines north of Preston on the West Coast Main Line and north of York on the East Coast Main Line – thereby cutting off England and Scotland from one another.
ScotsRail has also announced that all trains have been cancelled in Scotland tomorrow.
Today, a yellow warning is in place for 60mph winds along the south coast of England and up to North Wales until 6pm.
The strongest winds are then due to hit tomorrow with the entire country under yellow or amber warnings for up to 90mph gusts and up to 10in (25cm) of snow in places.
The Met Office said ‘injuries and danger to life could occur from flying debris’ and warned people to secure bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences.
TODAY
Yellow – Wind (7am-6pm)
TOMORROW
Red – Wind (7am-2pm)
Red – Wind (10am-5pm)
Amber – Wind (6am-9pm)
Yellow – Wind (0am-11.59pm)
Yellow – Wind (5am-3pm)
Yellow – Rain (0am-9am)
Yellow – Snow (3am-12pm)
SATURDAY
Yellow – Wind (0am-3pm)
It told those on the coast: ‘Stay safe during stormy weather by being aware of large waves, even from the shore large breaking waves can sweep you off your feet and out to sea. Take care if walking near cliffs; know your route and keep dogs on a lead.’
On Thursday, Cornwall was hit by a suspected mini tornado, with footage showing the strong winds hammering homes in Quintrell Downs.
Witnesses said the violent winds only lasted for a matter of seconds – with one local garage suffering damage to eight cars.
Sheryl Fores, who lives in the village, said: ‘A light breeze started then a strong wind, then literally from nowhere a tornado ripped through.
‘There were trees uprooted, it just came through in five or ten seconds.
‘It’s just left carnage, there’s at least seven or eight roofs that are almost missing, chimney pots affected, trees uprooted. It was very dangerous and then the tornado just went off across the fields.
‘It was a freak, everything was twirling in the air. It felt as if the house was being lifted.’
Meanwhile one person has suffered minor injuries when caravans were flipped over in Holywell Bay, Cornwall.
Five train operators imposed ‘do not travel’ warnings for sections of their routes tomorrow amid fears passengers could become stranded in northern England – with alerts from LNER, Avanti West Coast, Lumo, Northern and TransPennine Express.
Flights could also be impacted, with Jet2 warning of ‘some disruption should the weather deteriorate’ and Aer Lingus saying there was ‘potential disruption to travel’.
A tornado warning has been issued for southern England today – with the European Storm Forecast Experiment placing an area from Bristol to London under a level two alert for the possibility of ‘severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible’.
The forecaster, formed of European meteorologists, said the formation of a tornado ‘cannot be ruled out’. There is also a level one alert for more of southern England and Wales, which states there is ‘similar risk but lower probabilities’ of a tornado forming.
This morning, Storm Eowyn was undergoing explosive cyclogenesis – a term more commonly known as a ‘weather bomb’ – in the Atlantic. This criteria is met when the central pressure of a low pressure system falls by more than 24 millibars in 24 hours.
The storm is then officially set to hit Britain from midnight tonight. Forecasters say travel conditions are expected to be treacherous, with coastal and exposed areas particularly at risk – but 70mph inland gusts are also expected ‘fairly widely’.
The National Emergency Co-ordination Group said in its briefing in Dublin that Storm Eowyn will be one of the ‘most severe’ Ireland has experienced.
Keith Leonard, the group’s chairman, said it will be ‘destructive, dangerous and disruptive’.
Eoin Sherlock, head of forecasting at Met Eireann, warned that the jet stream will bring storms of ‘incredible intensity’ which has left Ireland in the ‘firing line’.
orecasters said the conditions bring a ‘risk of significant disruption to transport and power supplies as well as dangerous conditions outdoors’, with ‘very dangerous’ driving conditions because of fallen trees and other debris. They also warned of the potential for damage to buildings and homes.
Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan echoed their warnings, saying: ‘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.’
She said it is a potentially dangerous situation and added: ‘We are working in conjunction with our partners within Transport Scotland to make sure that we are ready for the red warning.
‘We’ve obviously had good notice from the Met Office, so we’re just making preparations now in order to make sure we’re ready for whenever it comes.’
The Met Office said a major change in the UK’s weather will start today as heavy rain and strong gusts hit the country.
This will be caused by a powerful jet stream pushing low pressure across the Atlantic and towards the UK after a recent cold spell over North America.
The south coast of England, parts of the South West and much of the Welsh coast are covered by a yellow weather warning for wind from 7am until 6pm today.
Some coastal routes and sea fronts in these areas will be affected by spray or large waves, the national weather service said.
But forecasters predict the worst of the wind will happen tomorrow, when the storm arrives bringing rain and even snow over parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and higher ground in northern England.
The whole of the UK is covered by at least one yellow weather warning tomorrow, with alerts for snow, wind and rain in place.
The strongest winds are due to hit the North of England, South of Scotland and North Wales, where an amber wind warning is in place from 6am to 9pm tomorrow – but the south of the country will also be affected.
Gusts of up to 90mph are more likely to be found along the more exposed coastal areas, while winds of between 60 to 70mph are expected inland.
The Met Office has advised people to secure loose items outside homes as there could be a danger to life caused by flying debris.
Mike Silverstone, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office said: ‘Storm Eowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption on Friday.
‘There are currently a number of weather warnings in place, with all parts of the UK covered by one warning at some point on Friday.
Rail passengers could become stranded in the north of England as LNER has warned there will be no trains in either direction north of Newcastle from 11am tomorrow.
‘Services north of York will also be subject to short-notice cancellation and significant delay,’ an LNER spokesperson said. ‘Alternative travel options will be limited due to the nature of the weather.’
And Avanti West Coast said: ‘We’re asking customers not to travel north of Preston or between Chester and Holyhead on January 24 due to the expected disruption by Storm Éowyn.’
TransPennine Express said it was ‘urging customers not to travel’ tomorrow between Manchester/Liverpool and Scotland, and between York, Newcastle and Edinburgh.
And Lumo added: ‘On Friday 24th January due to Storm Éowyn we strongly advise that you ‘Do Not Travel’ for if you are travelling north of Newcastle in either direction.’
‘Storm Eowyn is expected to cross Northern Ireland early on Friday morning. It will then continue north-east across the northern half of Scotland during Friday afternoon and is expected to be centred near Shetland during Friday evening.’
National Highways, which operates motorways and major A roads in England, has urged motorists in the North West, North East and Yorkshire to plan for disruption tomorrow.
It has warned of ‘a particularly high risk’ that high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes could be blown over.
Chris Wood, a roadside technician at the AA, said: ‘First and foremost drivers should consider if their journey is necessary or consider waiting until the storm has passed.
‘If you need to travel, choose main roads if you can, as these are less likely to be exposed to fallen branches and debris.’
A yellow warning for rain has also been issued across much of Wales and South West England, where as much as 2.4in (60mm) could be seen over high ground, which may result in some flooding.
This is the text of the Met Office amber warning in place tomorrow, for northern England, southern Scotland, North Wales and Northern Ireland:
Storm Éowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption on Friday
What should I expect?
Storm Éowyn will move across the northwest of the UK on Friday, clearing to the northeast on Friday night. This will bring a spell of very strong west to southwesterly winds, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph fairly widely inland, 70-80 mph in some areas, and 80-90 mph along more exposed coasts and hills (perhaps even higher in a few locations). It should be noted that there may be a slight reduction in wind strength for a time as the centre of Storm Éowyn passes overhead, this most likely in parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland, before winds rapidly increase again. Winds will gradually ease later on Friday.
What Should I Do?
More than 10 flood alerts are in place for England today.
By Saturday, the strongest winds will have dropped for most of the country, but Storm Eowyn will continue to bring gusty weather to Scotland, with a yellow warning in place from 12am until 3pm.
The Beaufort wind force scale which is used in the UK states that speeds of more than 73mph fall in the hurricane category.
Oli Claydon, of the Met Office, said: ‘We don’t need to look that far back to see similar strength winds, with Storm Darroch just a few weeks ago.
‘And while most people don’t know the [Beaufort] scale, the gusts do fall in the hurricane speed category.
‘Certainly, winds of this strength, especially in the amber warning areas, have potential for disruptions and danger to life.’
BBC Weather presenter Simon King said the system ‘looks like being quite an exceptional storm’.
BBC Weather’s Nina Ridge added the strong winds ‘could persist well into February’ – and the Met Office has warned there is a possibility for a second named storm ‘at some point’ next week.
The Transport Scotland resilience room and the multi-agency response team will be in place to monitor conditions, while Traffic Scotland will provide updates on social media, its website and on radio broadcasts.
The Scottish Government resilience room will also be active during the period of the amber warning, and officials said they will monitor the situation and work with frontline agencies to mitigate the impact of the severe weather.
Scottish Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: ‘Storm Eowyn is set to be the fourth named storm to impact Scotland this winter, bringing another period of disruption to the transport network.
‘The Met Office warnings show high winds will impact all of the country, so it’s vital people plan ahead if they have to travel, particularly in the areas in south and central Scotland covered by the amber warning.
‘The conditions will bring challenges for drivers, so you should check the Traffic Scotland website before setting off – it offers the latest information on the trunk road network and also has details of ‘wind based’ closures for the bridges. The Traffic Scotland X page is also updated regularly.
‘The high winds are likely to impact other modes of transport, so if you are planning to travel by train, ferry or air, please check with your operator to see if your service has been affected.’
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Police Scotland’s head of road policing, said: ‘The amber warning for high winds means that there is a strong likelihood of disruption on the road network and as such, motorists are advised to plan ahead and avoid unnecessary travel where possible.
‘Make sure your vehicle has sufficient fuel and is completely roadworthy, with tyre pressure and tread meeting legal requirements. Ensure your mobile phone is fully charged in the event you need to call for assistance, and if it is likely you may be within your vehicle for long periods of time, take additional clothing and water with you.
‘Please do not ignore any road signage advising of changes to speed or closures to routes. These are in place for your safety and the safety of other road users, and listen out for media broadcasts about the weather and how it may be impacting travel.
‘Further information of the weather and road closures can be found by visiting the Met Office, Ready Scotland and Traffic Scotland websites and social media accounts.’
In Ireland, Keith Leonard, chair of the National Emergency Co-ordination Group, said the storm will ‘probably be among the severest storms that Ireland has ever seen’.
He added that will result in very difficult conditions for the whole of Ireland and cause serious disruption to transport and significant power outages.
Mr Leonard also said it was likely that the number of people who will lose power in Ireland will top the 385,000 figure from Storm Ophelia in 2017.
He said those under the red warning area should shelter until the warning is lifted – but difficult conditions will remain with debris on roads and trees down.
Met Éireann has issued Status Red wind warnings for 22 counties including Dublin, Louth, Cork, Galway and Donegal from the early hours of tomorrow – with some schools set to close.
Status Red is the highest level of wind warning issued by the agency and is due to predicted ‘destructive gusts in excess of 130kph’. Met Éireann said that this brings a ‘danger to life’ as well as ‘extremely dangerous’ travelling conditions.
Status Orange wind warnings are also in place for counties in South East Ireland.