Driving instructor's two essential checks everyone should make as Storm Eowyn batters UK

The Met Office has issued a reddish upwind informing for upwind successful the UK and a driving teacher has shared her apical tips for staying harmless connected the roads during the storm

Storm Eowyn is causing chaos crossed the UK, with doors shaking and plot furnishings tumbling successful the fierce winds. The Met Office has enactment retired respective weather warnings arsenic coastal areas brace for winds that could scope 100mph.

A staggering upwind velocity of 114mph was clocked successful Galway, Ireland, astatine 5am today, surpassing the erstwhile grounds of 113mph acceptable successful Limerick successful 1945, says the Met Office. The nationalist has been cautioned astir the life-threatening quality of Storm Eowyn and advised to debar travelling wherever possible, with galore formation and bid disruptions already reported.

For those considering driving, beryllium alert that beardown gusts tin marque it consciousness similar your car is bouncing oregon drifting, which tin beryllium rather alarming. Vicky Folland, a nonrecreational driving teacher and "test nerves specialist", says: "Driving successful the upwind tin beryllium perchance rather scary and rather dangerous."

The adept has taken to TikTok to connection her adept proposal connected however to grip driving successful specified treacherous upwind She recommends checking the upwind earlier heading retired and questioning whether the travel is necessary.

If you find yourself connected the roadworthy erstwhile the upwind picks up, Vicky's guidance is clear: "Before you spell out, cheque the upwind conditions and bash you truly request to take that journey? If you are retired and driving successful the wind, marque definite you support a steadfast grip connected the wheel."

She besides suggests slowing down to trim the hazard of being caught by a abrupt gust: "You're little apt to get caught successful a gust of upwind if you're driving a small spot slower."

She besides highlights the value of being vigilant astir high-sided vehicles connected motorways, arsenic they tin "buffer about" and sway successful beardown winds. Vicky advises leaving other abstraction betwixt your car and the conveyance successful front, and to beryllium peculiarly cautious astir smaller vehicles similar motorcycles oregon cyclists.

"Allow other abstraction erstwhile you're overtaking," she recommends. The driving teacher besides cautions drivers to "Be cautious for abrupt gusts and sidewinds," and to ticker retired for fallen trees and debris connected the roads.

She further mentions that driving tests whitethorn beryllium cancelled during a storm, advising: "If you're unsure, telephone your trial centre. Fingers transverse it'll spell ahead."

One idiosyncratic recounted their ordeal, saying: "I had a acquisition successful Storm Babet I deliberation it was. It was horrific, the car was rocking." Another commented connected their archetypal acquisition driving successful wind: "First clip driving successful upwind this day and was a small scary but I conscionable slowed down and tried to support calm."

Chris Wood, AA patrol of the year, warns: "As the informing has risen from amber to reddish successful the astir bluish and occidental areas of the UK, we impulse drivers to see whether their travel is indispensable and if not postpone it. If you bash request to travel, marque definite you're prepared for what you whitethorn encounter. Expect to travel crossed fallen branches and different debris connected the roads, particularly successful agrarian areas."