Red weather warnings indicating an immediate threat to life have been issued on local forecasts in Northern Ireland and central Scotland, the regions bearing the brunt of Storm Eowyn’s record-breaking high winds.
Over 4.5 million people have received emergency alerts on their phones advising them to stay indoors in the midst of an unprecedented storm for the region. Transportation services have come to a halt in cities, including rails, flights, and ferries suspended until further notice.
Matt & all the animals are still ok. I did panic a bit when I couldn’t reach him for 30 mins but it turns out he had managed to fall asleep for a few mins & then I woke him up in a panic! 😂
You know it’s bad when a large wooden bench is seen ‘walking’ down the prom! #StormÉowyn pic.twitter.com/7cwVOEV4Jv— Galway Atlantaquaria (@GalwayAquarium) January 24, 2025
In addition, due to Storm Eowyn all schools have been closed in Northern Ireland with sporadic closures in Wales, Scotland, and England in response to orange and yellow wind warnings.
As of Friday morning, over 93,000 homes and establishments are without electricity across Northern Ireland as a result to damaged power lines. The Republic of Ireland faces even larger damages with 715,000 homes and buildings being damaged by high winds and debris.
334 flights have been cancelled across several airports threatened by high winds and poor conditions, including Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.
A screen displays information about the suspension of all services, at the closed Edinburgh Waverley Station, as Storm Eowyn hits, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, January 24, 2025. REUTERS/Lesley Martin
The highest wind speed recorded this morning was a staggering 114 mph in Mace Head, County Galway in Ireland, according to the Guardian. This surpasses the last record high wind speed recorded in 1945 in County Limerick.
Officials have warned Ireland residents to conserve water for at least 24 hours in case storm-induced outages hinder the distribution of resources for the next day, according to the BBC.
Red warnings are projected to remain in place until 2 PM on Friday for Northern Ireland and 5 PM for central Scotland, depending on hazardous wind speeds throughout the rest of the day.
