Storm Éowyn: Scottish Parliament and hundreds of schools to close in UK | UK weather

A rare red weather warning covering Northern Ireland and Scotland was issued on Thursday ahead of what could be the strongest storm in generations.

The Met Office said Storm Éowyn’s arrival on Friday could bring gusts of up to 100mph and “flying debris resulting in a danger to life”.

The red warnings, an upgrade to existing yellow warnings, cover the whole of Northern Ireland and parts of central and southern Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ayr.

The UK government said more than 4.5 million people in Northern Ireland and Scotland received emergency alerts – a 10-second siren sound – on their mobile phones on Thursday night, the biggest real-world use of the tool to date.

The emergency alert system sent a message to all compatible mobile phones in areas covered by a red weather warning for wind and guidance on how to stay safe, a Cabinet Office spokesman said on Thursday.

Police in Northern Ireland have declared a major incident as Storm Éowyn approaches the region.

In the Republic of Ireland, a rare nationwide red warning for wind is in place, issued by Met Éireann.

At First Minister’s Questions in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, John Swinney told the public to take the red weather warning seriously, adding that Police Scotland had to issue an unusual “do not travel” notice.

Map of UK weather forecasts for Friday 24 January

Swinney said he would chair a meeting in his government’s resilience room after the FMQ’s session. “We need to be clear that people should not travel and Police Scotland will soon issue a formal do not travel notice,” he said. “Councils will make decisions today about school closures.”

He continued: “Red weather warnings are very rare. Our message is simple: please follow the advice of the Met Office and the police, take this seriously and be safe.”

Schools are due to close across Scotland’s central belt on Friday, with colleges and universities also advising students and staff to stay at home.

The Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh has also announced that it will be closed on Friday, with no access to visitors or members of the public and only essential staff allowed in.

All trains across Scotland will be suspended, ScotRail said.

In Northern Ireland, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly urged people to stay home where they can and check on vulnerable people ahead of the strong winds.

Schools, colleges and courts will be closed on Friday, public transport suspended and some health appointments postponed amid a top-level red wind warning issued for Storm Éowyn.

The public has been warned to stay away from forests, parks and nature reserves due to the risk of fallen trees, branches and debris.

Police said Friday is expected to see the strongest winds in the region since the Boxing Day storm of 1998, which caused widespread disruption.

Police in Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck described Storm Éowyn as an “extraordinary weather event” with wind speeds of up to 100mph expected.

He said police have declared a major incident and urged the public to take the dangers of the storm seriously.

“Severe disruption is expected across our road network, public transport, schools, health services and other public services,” Beck said.

“The message from the police is: don’t travel, stay indoors and be safe.”

In the Republic of Ireland, public transport has been canceled on Friday as the country prepares for a status red warning of “extreme danger to life”. Tide surges across “all shores across the island” are expected to be up to 2.5 metres.

Keith Leonard, chairman of Ireland’s National Emergency Coordination Group, has asked people to stay indoors during the storm.

Forecasters said the storm could mean power outages, very dangerous driving conditions due to downed trees, blown roofs and downed power lines. Roads, bridges and rail lines are likely to be closed and travel disruption is expected.

Northern Railways, which operates across the north of England, advised passengers to “avoid traveling where possible” as it canceled services ahead of the storm. The the company said it expected “severe disruption” and had canceled services across the network including trains across the Pennines, down the Cumbrian coast and between Carlisle and Newcastle.

The LNER said there would be no services north of Newcastle in both directions from Friday at 11 a.m. Avanti West Coast advised passengers not to travel north of Preston or on its North Wales route.

Éowyn is the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 season and potentially the most destructive.

Forecasters have said it could be the strongest system Britain and Ireland have seen since Storm Debbie in September 1961, which destroyed homes, cut power and killed 12 people in the Republic of Ireland and six in Northern Ireland.

The Met Office said peak-hour wind speeds of 80-90 miles per hour were expected across Northern Ireland on Friday, with up to 100mph in some exposed locations. “An extremely windy period with disturbances and potentially damaging winds tomorrow morning,” he said.

The record for a gust in Northern Ireland is 124 mph at Kilkeel in Co Down in January 1974.

Experts say Éowyn could also bring torrential rain and heavy snow across Britain.

There were also amber wind warnings in place for north Wales, northern England and the rest of Scotland. A yellow wind warning is in place for south-east England.

Jess Neumann, Associate Professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, said: “Storm Éowyn is not one to be underestimated – be safe, be prepared and plan ahead. This storm has the potential to bring serious risks not only to travel and property, but for your safety and well-being.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Professor Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, who said Éowyn was a “particularly powerful storm” due to a “very active jet stream”.

People on transatlantic flights may have already this week noticed just how strong the jet stream has been, with data from Flightradar24 showing that a BA flight from Las Vegas to Heathrow reached a speed of 814mph thanks to the strong tailwind.

Bentley said: “The subsonic speed record currently stands at 835 mph, so that record could well be broken in the coming hours.”

The European Storm Forecast Experiment (Estofex), a forecasting initiative involving a team of European meteorologists, said “tornado events” could not be ruled out, with areas between Bristol and London most at risk on Friday.

As the storm approached, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) urged the public to take precautions to ensure their safety.

The advice includes avoiding all travel unless necessary. If people must drive, they should do so carefully, be aware of litter and keep a safe distance from other vehicles.

At home, outdoor furniture and bins must be secured and people must “stay indoors as much as possible”. Another tip is to prepare an emergency kit with essentials such as water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries and first aid.

Adrian Simpson, head of policy at RoSPA, said: “We urge everyone to take these precautions seriously to ensure their safety during Storm Éowyn. The conditions expected are severe and it is vital to stay informed and prepared.”