Rail services and flights have been axed, with rare red weather warnings issued for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Met Office extended its rare red weather warning at 11am to cover more of Scotland until 5pm, while Northern has issued a 'do not travel' warning for much of the north, including Greater Manchester.

Storm Éowyn is forecast to make landfall in Ireland late on Thursday before moving on to the rest of the UK on Friday according to Met Office models. The storm will bring gusts of 80mph to coastal areas and 60mph inland with potential for a danger to life caused by flying debris.

A red weather warning is the highest possible alert sent out by the Met Office. Red warnings are issued when there is a danger to life, along with the likelihood of substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and widespread damage to property and infrastructure.