Red weather warnings are in place for vast swathes of the country tomorrow with Storm Eowyn set to batter the UK with winds of up to 100mph sparking a danger to life alert
Storm Eowyn is set to cause havoc across the UK with school closures, NHS appointments and rail services expected to face major disruption.
Authorities up and down the country issued statements notifying millions about cancellations and disruptions as Storm Eowyn barrels toward the British Isles. The Met Office issued a red wind warning for all of Northern Ireland as well as central and south west Scotland with people in the regions being warned of a danger to life from flying debris.
Drivers were told to avoid making journeys on the roads amid fears trees could be brought down in the storm. People close to the coast were warned to keep away from the sea with large waves expected to sweep across roads and batter nearby houses.
Some 4.5 million people living in Northern Ireland and Scotland were sent an alert to their phones this evening warning them about Storm Eowyn. The alert was the largest one to date and made mobile phones make a sound similar to a siren, even if they were on silent.
Brits have also been notified about delays and disruptions that are expected in the affected areas tomorrow. The Mirror has collected the services that are said to be impacted due to the storm.
Air travel
- Belfast International said it expected “significant disruption” to flights during Storm Eowyn and urged passengers to check with your airline for your flight’s latest status
- Edinburgh Airport said on X/Twitter: “Operations will be limited during Friday’s Red weather warning…Passengers should continue to check with their airline for latest flight info”
- Glasgow Airport is limiting its operations from 10am to 5pm on Friday due to the red weather alert
Health services
- NHS Lothian said it took the “difficult decision” to cancel all routine, non-urgent planned procedures as well as the majority of hospital outpatient appointments due to the storm
- NHS Lanarkshire said in a post shared to X/Twitter: “Due to the red warning which has been issued for the area, NHS Lanarkshire is postponing all non-urgent appointments in hospital and community settings on Friday 24 January 2025.”
Ferry services
- CalMac ferry services scheduled for tomorrow have been cancelled
- Northlink Ferries that serve the Northern Isles also amended its services for Friday
Rail journeys
- ScotRail services are set to be suspended
- The West Coast Mainline north of Preston and the East Coast Main Line north of Newcastle will not go ahead
- Railway services in Northern Ireland have been suspended
- Transport for Wales warned services could be cancelled at the last minutes
Roads
- Police Scotland has told drivers not to make journeys tomorrow
- RAC Breakdown told motorists in the worst-affected areas not to drive “unless absolutely essential”
- Bus services across Northern Ireland have also been suspended
Schools and universities
- Schools across Northern Ireland are advised to close on Friday
- Schools and nurseries in central and southern Scotland have been called on to shut for the day
- Edinburgh University will be closed with no teaching in person and online
- Queen’s University Belfast and Ulster University are also closing their campuses to students and staff
Public services and spaces
- Edinburgh Council said non-essential services in the region such as museums and parks would be closed as well as all council buildings
- The V&A Dundee will be closed throughout Friday although it plans to reopen on Saturday
- All Scottish courts in or near the red warning zone will be closed
