Storm Eowyn: six things you should never do in a storm as danger to life threat issued over 100mph winds
- The Met Office have issued a rare red weather warning for Storm Eowyn across Northern Ireland and Scotland.
- Millions of people are being urged to stay home, with wind gusts of up to 100mph expected in some coastal areas.
- Schools are closed and public transport, flights and ferries are cancelled due to the disruption.
The UK is being battered by Storm Eowyn, with a rare red weather warning in place, across Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Millions of people are being urged to stay home, with the Met Office warning of widespread disruption to transport, power outages, damage to buildings and danger to life, in what the Met Office are describing as a “multi-hazard event”.
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Hide AdMet Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “We reserve the issuing of Red Warnings for the most severe weather which represents a likely danger to life and severe disruption, and that is the case with Storm Eowyn.
“While it will be widely very windy on Friday, with additional hazards from rain and snow, the strongest winds and most significant impacts are likely in Northern Ireland and central and southwestern parts of Scotland within the Red Warning areas, where winds could gust 80-90 mph quite widely for a time, and potentially up to 100 mph for exposed coasts in particular.”


What should you never do in a storm?
The UK is braced for Storm Eowyn, with a rare red weather warning, meaning danger to life, in place across Northern Ireland and Scotland. Millions of people are being urged to stay home, in what the Met Office are describing as a “multi-hazard event”.
Here are the six things you should never do in a storm:
Ignore weather warnings
Keep up to date with weather warnings from the Met Office. Rare red weather warnings have been issued across Northern Ireland and Scotland, meaning there is a danger to life, with wind gusts of up to 100mph expected in some coastal areas.
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Hide AdThe Met Office issues weather warnings when severe weather has the potential to have an impact to areas in the UK. The warnings are colour coded - yellow, amber or red, depending on the combination of the both the weather impact and the likelihood of those impacts happening.
This can include damage to property, travel delays and cancellations, power cuts and in the most severe cases, pose a danger to life.
This is what the Met Office weather warnings mean:
Yellow warning: Issued for when it is likely that weather will cause some low level impact, such as disruption to travel in a few places. Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted. Other yellow warnings are issued when the weather could bring much more severe impacts to the majority of people but the certainty of those impacts occurring is much lower.
Amber warning: Issued when there is an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could potentially disrupt your plans. This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property. You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property. You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.
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Hide AdRed warning: Issued when dangerous weather is expected. It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure. You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.
Go outside
If the weather warning is advising you to stay at home for your safety then it’s important to follow this warning and stay inside as being outside in high winds makes you more vulnerable to injury.
If you have to leave your home do not walk or seek shelter close to buildings and trees and keep away from the sheltered side of boundary walls and fences as if these structures fall, this is the side they will collapse on.
Make unnecessary journeys
Do not travel unless your journey is really necessary. Following the red warning, meaning there is a danger to life, bus and rail services have already been cancelled in Northern Ireland, with no Scot Rail services operating in Scotland.
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Hide AdFlights and ferry crossings have also been cancelled or delayed, with widespread disruption to travel expected across the UK.
If you do need to travel, delay your journey or find alternative routes if possible. Take extra care when driving on exposed routes such as bridges, or high open roads, slow down and be aware of side winds.
Fix damage while the storm is in progress
It can be tempting to start to repair something that has been damaged during the bad weather, but if the storm is still in progress it is not safe to do this as strong winds could cause injury.
Walk your dog
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Hide AdDo not walk your dog during stormy weather, especially if there is a weather warning in place. In Northern Ireland, the USPCA have advised pet owners not to take their dog for a walk and to make sure your pet’s microchip information is up to date.
USPCA Chief Executive, Nora Smith said: "With the red alert in place, we urge all animal owners, both domestic and on farms, to take the necessary steps to protect their animals. The extreme weather can cause significant stress and danger to animals, and it's critical that they are kept safe in secure and sheltered environments."
Stay away from the coastline
If you are near the coastline, stay away from the shoreline to reduce the chance of being swept away into the sea. Wave surges can happen unexpectedly, keep your eyes on the water and if you can feel the spray, you’re likely too close.
There is disruption across the UK for Storm Eowyn - find about what your rights are as a parent during school closures.
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