Storm Eowyn SMASHES into UK with entire country affected by gales over 100mph as flights cancelled and roads closed

FLIGHTS person been delayed, roads closed and ferry services cancelled arsenic 100mph winds airs a information to beingness successful parts of the UK this morning.

Rail services and flights person been axed, with uncommon reddish upwind warnings issued for Scotland and Northern Ireland arsenic Storm Eowyn is apt to harm buildings, uproot trees and origin powerfulness cuts, the Met Office said.

Train relation ScotRail suspended each services crossed Scotland connected Friday, saying it "would not beryllium harmless to run rider services owed to forecast upwind conditions".

Dozens of flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were cancelled connected Friday greeting owed to ongoing upwind conditions, portion Belfast International warned of important disruption to flights.

Calmac Ferries connected Scotland's westbound seashore and Steam Packet Ferries betwixt Heysham and the Isle of Man some announced Friday's planned sailings had been cancelled.

A fig of bid companies including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, CrossCountry and Grand Central person besides told customers not to question connected routes crossed parts of northbound Wales, Scotland and bluish England with nary services running.

Passengers and motorists successful areas covered by reddish and amber upwind warnings person been told to debar question "unless perfectly essential".

National Highways said the A66 betwixt the A1M successful North Yorkshire and M6 successful Cumbria, arsenic good arsenic the A628 Woodhead Pass successful Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, were some closed overnight owed to beardown winds.

Further south, the M48 Severn Bridge was closed owed to beardown winds, portion the Tamar Bridge connected the A38 betwixt Devon and Cornwall was closed to high-sided vehicles until 5am.

Avon and Somerset reported a fig of section roads had been blocked owed to fallen trees, advising motorists to "take attraction erstwhile travelling".

The Police Service of Northern Ireland described the tempest arsenic an "exceptional upwind event" and said it was expected to bring the strongest winds seen successful the state since 1998.

Met Eireann reported the mean upwind velocity grounds of 81mph acceptable successful 1945 astatine Foynes Co. Limerick has been breached during the storm.

The Irish upwind work said gusts of up to 108mph Mace Head disconnected Ireland's westbound seashore by 4am connected Friday.

Red warnings for upwind person been issued by the Met Office successful Northern Ireland from 7am until 2pm connected Friday, and for occidental and cardinal areas of Scotland betwixt 10am and 5pm.

Gusts of 80 to 90mph are expected wide inland successful the informing areas, with speeds of up to 100mph apt on coasts, the forecaster said.

Amber upwind warnings are besides successful spot for Northern Ireland, the confederate fractional of Scotland, bluish England and northbound Wales betwixt 6am and 9pm connected Friday, and the bluish fractional of Scotland from 1pm connected Friday to 6am connected Saturday.

Winds reaching 60 to 70mph volition beryllium wide successful these informing areas.

There is simply a yellowish upwind informing covering astir of the UK for the entirety of Friday.

Smaller yellowish warnings for snowfall successful Scotland, from 6am to midnight, and rainfall successful south-west England and Wales until 9am.

RAC Breakdown advised motorists successful warnings areas to enactment harmless by parking distant from trees, support a steadfast grip connected the steering wheel, debar coastal routes and ticker retired for debris.

Some 4.5 cardinal radical received exigency alerts connected their phones informing of the incoming tempest successful the "largest existent beingness usage of the instrumentality to date" connected Thursday.

Further amber and yellowish upwind warnings for upwind and rainfall person besides been issued crossed Saturday and Sunday.