Red 'Danger to Life' warnings for Storm Eowyn

Storm Eowyn will hit Ireland, Northern Ireland and parts of Britain as a powerful winter storm during Thursday night and on Friday, before pulling away from Scotland on Saturday.

"Southwesterly then westerly winds will rapidly increase from west to east during the Friday morning rush hour with peak gusts of 80-90 mph fairly widely and perhaps up to 100 mph along some exposed coasts. "MO

The UK Met Office has just issued red wind warnings for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland for Friday. "Very strong winds associated with Storm Éowyn causing very dangerous conditions with widespread disruption and significant impacts expected."

The Isle of Man also has a red wind warning for Violent Storm force winds.

Early yellow wind warnings for Storm Eowyn first appeared on Monday 20th January and have escalated through the week battling to be heard against other news items. Met Eireann issued red wind warnings on Wednesday across the whole of Ireland ready for Thursday night and Friday 24th. This reflects “Rare. Extremely dangerous/destructive” conditions and all public transport is cancelled on Friday as schools and nurseries across Ireland close.

“Red Storm Éowyn: Gale to storm force southerly winds becoming westerly will bring severe, damaging and extremely destructive gusts in excess of 130km” (80mph) Met Eireann

The UK Met Office uses a matrix system balancing predicted impacts from severe weather; Low, Medium and High, against confidence and likelihood; Very Low, low, Medium and High. There are yellow warnings for Snow and Rain but it has been the Wind warnings which are the focus for Eowyn. The likelihood of High impacts has increased this week from Very Low to Low as an Amber wind warning was issued midweek for Northern Ireland and a swathe of Britain.

The likelihood of High Impacts from damaging winds is now in the high category resulting in these red warnings being issued. 

What does a red warning mean?

This means there will be Danger to life, Prolonged disruption to daily routines and activities, utilities and services, to travel. Extensive damage to buildings and property is possible and importantly there will be “Prolonged strain on emergency responder organisations.”

Essentially the advice is to stay at home/indoors if possible. LNER on the East coast mainline cancelled all trains heading north from York for Friday and Lumo north of Newcastle. The advice from National Rail “Severe weather…Storm Éowyn may affect your journey until Saturday 25 January: check before you travel.”

Thursday

After the settled, quiet weather conditions will change during Thursday as a front brings rain and hill snow from the west. The southerly winds will veer to a westerly and freshen this afternoon. There is a Met Office yellow wind warning for coastal counties from Anglesey around to Kent. For south Wales this morning and across southern England during the day there could be heavier bursts of rain as the band heads eastwards with a risk of convective elements as it clears. This includes hail, thunderstorms and sudden squally winds. That band clears away over the North Sea and we get a lull, the calm before the Storm.

It won't be long until the next band of rain (and northern snow) arrives and the stormy weather sets in.

Thursday night

Heavy rain will arrive with Storm Eowyn drenching Ireland then Northern Ireland around midnight. The frontal rain will also reach Wales and SW Enlgnad tonight as the winds pass gale force through the Irish Sea. Conditions for Ireland on Thursday night look horrific, particularly along the exposed west coast. The rain band will continue northeastwards with snow for a time over Northern IReland but turning back to rain. There will be snow for northern Britain as the rain hits the cold night air and there is a Met Office warning for Snow on Friday over inland northern Britain.

“Snow for a time on Friday morning may cause some disruption, before easing and/or turning to rain” MO

The frontal rain will clear away eastwards from England during Friday morning, so brighter skies here. There will be blizzard conditions for the Scottish mountains and high level routes as more showery bands swirl around the low by lunchtime over Scotland. Sleet and snow showers could reach Northern Ireland but the wintry precipitation for inland Scotland north of the Central Belt looks significant. Another reason to stay at home. 

These wind arrows show the direction and strength of the winds. A pennant flag is 50mph, a full line is 10mph and half line is 5mph. The core of strongest winds is 80mph sustained winds, not gusts, off west coast of Ireland

As the full force of Eowyn’s winds continues up the coast of Ireland to Donegal on Friday morning there will be wild conditions for Northern IReland, SW Scotland, the Isle of Man and areas around the Irish Sea with southwesterly gales. The winds will be wrapping around the low centre which will be off the west coast of Scotland on Friday morning.

The storm then continues into the afternoon, battering Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England. The southwesterly winds will rage through the Central Belt of Scotland as the Inner Hebrides take the brunt of the severe gales and high gusts. 

The worst of the gales will edge northwards through Scotland later on Friday as southern Britain sees lighter winds. Storm Eowyn will have been quite an event. 

Saturday

The severe SW gales, even storm force winds, will reach the Northern Isles after midnight. Sleet and snow showers feed in from the west over Scotland as the windy weather continues for Saturday. There will be other bands of rain, sleet, hail and hill snow showers from the west for the UK.  Travel disruption and power supply issues are likely to last into the weekend as the weather stays unsettled.

Further discussion and chat about Storm Eowyn

What do the yellow, amber and red warnings mean?

Will it be windy?