Flights have been cancelled, roads shut down, and ferry services halted as gale-force winds stronger than 100mph present a life-threatening risk in certain regions of the UK on Friday morning.

Both rail services and flights have been cancelled, and rare red weather warnings have been issued for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Met Office has warned that Storm Eowyn could potentially cause structural damage, uproot trees, and lead to power outages.

ScotRail, a train operator, suspended all services across Scotland on Friday, citing unsafe operating conditions due to the predicted weather.

Numerous flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were cancelled on Friday morning due to the severe weather, while Belfast International Airport has alerted passengers to significant flight disruptions.

Dublin Airport has announced that airlines have cancelled over 110 scheduled departures and 110 arrivals for Friday.

Calmac Ferries on Scotland’s west coast and Steam Packet Ferries operating between Heysham and the Isle of Man have confirmed the cancellation of Friday’s planned sailings.

Several train companies, including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, CrossCountry, and Grand Central, have advised customers against travelling on routes spanning parts of north Wales, Scotland, and northern England with no services running.

Passengers and motorists in areas affected by red and amber weather warnings have been urged to avoid travelling “unless absolutely essential.”

National Highways has reported that the A66, connecting the A1M in North Yorkshire to the M6 in Cumbria, and the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire were shut down overnight due to fierce winds.

Further down south, the M48 Severn Bridge was also closed due to strong winds, while the Tamar Bridge on the A38, linking Devon and Cornwall, barred high-sided vehicles until 5am.

Avon and Somerset have announced that numerous local roads are being obstructed by fallen trees, warning drivers to “take care when travelling.”

In Wales, Gwent Police have confirmed that emergency services actively handle surface water flooding on the B4598 Raglan Toward Abergavenny.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has labelled the storm an “exceptional weather event”, anticipating it to bring the most severe winds the country has witnessed since 1998.

Met Eireann has revealed that the mean wind speed record of 81mph, set back in 1945 at Foynes Co. Limerick, was surpassed during this tempest.

The Irish meteorological service recorded gusts reaching a staggering 108mph at Mace Head off the west coast of Ireland by 4am on Friday.

The Met Office has issued red wind warnings for Northern Ireland from 7am until 2pm on Friday and for western and central regions of Scotland from 10am to 5 pm.

Forecasters predicted gusts ranging from 80 to 90mph across inland areas within the warning zones, with coastal regions potentially facing blasts up to 100mph.

Amber wind warnings have been issued for Northern Ireland, southern Scotland, northern England, and north Wales from 6am to 9pm on Friday, with the northern half of Scotland under alert from 1pm on Friday until 6am on Saturday.

Gusts of 60 to 70mph are expected to be common within these areas. The entire Friday will see a yellow wind warning in effect across most of the UK.

Additionally, there are smaller yellow alerts for snow in Scotland, effective from 6am to midnight, and for rain in south-west England and Wales until 9am.

RAC Breakdown has urged drivers in the affected regions to exercise caution by avoiding parking under trees, maintaining a strong hold on the steering wheel, steering clear of coastal roads, and being vigilant for any debris.

An unprecedented 4.5 million individuals received emergency notifications on their mobile devices on Thursday, alerting them about the approaching storm.

This marked the “largest real-life use of the tool to date.” More amber and yellow weather warnings for wind and rain are set to be in place over the weekend.