The Met Office has warned Britons across Scotland and Northern Ireland to stay inside as Storm Eowyn hits the UK.
Met Office red wind warnings are now in effect in Northern Ireland until 2pm on Friday and will come into force western and central areas of Scotland from 10am.
Schools have been closed and people have been warned not to travel as winds of more than 100mph are set to pose a danger to life in parts of the UK.
In Ireland, forecaster Met Eireann recorded gusts of 114mph – the fastest speed since records began.
All trains in Scotland have been suspended and motorists in Northern Ireland have been advised not to drive unless absolutely essential.
Network Rail said it has taken “the difficult decision” to close the West Coast Main Line north of Preston and the East Coast Main Line north of Newcastle for much of Friday. Passengers on the East Coast main line, which links London King’s Cross with northeast England and Scotland, will face disruption all weekend.
Glasgow and Edinburgh airports saw dozens of flights cancelled in the morning due to bad weather conditions.
‘Half a million premises’ without power in Ireland
Officials in Ireland have reported that more than half a million premises in Ireland are without power.
There has been “unprecedented widespread and extensive damage” due to Storm Eowyn.
Residents are being advised not to approach any fallen wires or damaged electricity network infrastructure and contact the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) as soon as possible.
Rail services and flights cancelled across the country
A road sign displaying a red weather warning for Friday on Calder Road, Edinburgh
PA
Rail services and flights have been axed, with rare red weather warnings issued for Scotland and Northern Ireland as Storm Eowyn is likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and cause power cuts, the Met Office said.
Train operator ScotRail suspended all services across Scotland on Friday, saying it “would not be safe to operate passenger services due to forecast weather conditions.”
Dozens of flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh airports were cancelled on Friday morning due to ongoing weather conditions, while Belfast International warned of significant disruption to flights.
A number of train companies including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, CrossCountry and Grand Central have also told customers not to travel on routes across parts of north Wales, Scotland and northern England with no services running.