High winds continue as nearly a million without power

Practically a million properties are with out energy within the UK and Eire and vital journey disruption continues after Storm Éowyn introduced winds of over 100 mph (161 km/h).

One man died after a tree fell on a automobile in Eire, whereas Scotland and Northern Eire each noticed widespread property harm in addition to delays and cancellations to trains, planes, and ferries.

Whereas the fiercest gusts have handed, sturdy winds are anticipated to proceed, and components of England and Wales may see as much as 80mm of rainfall over the weekend.

An amber warning for wind is in drive for a lot of Scotland, whereas yellow warnings for rain, wind, snow, and ice and in place for components of southern England, Wales, and Northern Eire.

In Eire, 625,000 properties and companies have been nonetheless with out energy on Friday night, and the nation’s Electrical energy Provide Board stated energy would take a “vital variety of days” to revive.

Round 138,000 individuals have been with out water, a determine Irish Water stated was more likely to improve due to energy outages at remedy vegetation and pumping stations.

Some 214,000 properties in Northern Eire, 106,000 in Scotland, and 20,000 in north-west England have been additionally with out energy.

Northern Eire Electrical energy stated it could possibly be as much as 10 days earlier than all these affected are reconnected.

The infrastructure division stated it will take days to evaluate the harm, with greater than 1,800 fallen bushes, branches, and different particles blocking roads.

Northern Irish Training Minister Paul Givan stated 60 faculties had reported “vital harm to some buildings” and that officers have been working to ascertain which of them can be unable to open on Monday.

Regardless of the strongest winds having handed the storm continues to be anticipated to deliver gusts of greater than 80mph (128km/h) throughout the coast and hills of Scotland and Northern Eire.

ScotRail stated engineers can be working by the evening on Friday to clear bushes and different particles from tracks, however that there was “in depth harm to overhead traces” which might should be repaired earlier than trains may run.

It stated companies would proceed to be “closely impacted” on Saturday and that clients mustn’t count on trains to function earlier than 12:00 GMT on the earliest.

Edinburgh Airport stated it will nonetheless be working below “difficult circumstances” on Saturday and that the disruption on Friday would have knock-on influence on companies over the subsequent few days.

Glasgow and Belfast Worldwide stated passengers ought to proceed to examine the most recent journey info with their airline earlier than travelling.

CalMac, the principle operator of ferries off Scotland’s west coast, continues to be experiencing some disruption, though the vast majority of ferry crossings within the Irish Sea – together with these by Irish Ferries and Stena Line, each of which needed to cancel companies on Friday – look like working usually.

Nationwide Rail stated winds and rain would have an effect on some companies in northern England into Saturday.

Passengers with Avanti West Coast are suggested to not journey north of Preston, whereas these with LNER are suggested to not journey north of York.

Mark Jones, who lives in Coldingham within the Scottish Borders, described Storm Éowyn hitting his space like “an earthquake”.

On Friday morning, he noticed his corrugated iron carport being lifted out of the bottom and tipped into an space of woodland.

“I did not really feel critically alarmed as a result of there was about 30ft between me and the carport and it simply lifted up fairly steadily and tilted over,” he recalled.

“I simply suppose the phrase ‘storm’ is just too delicate for what we now have witnessed right here. Solely a hurricane may try this.”

Liam Downs, an electrician from Cardross on the north aspect of the Firth of Clyde, has been driving up and down the coast serving to the local people, together with eradicating bushes from the highway.

Whereas going to examine on a shopper in close by Rosneath, he noticed “about 10 bushes” fall throughout the house of 10 minutes which “utterly blocked us within the one-way highway”.

“As we have been driving alongside the coast earlier, waves have been arising onto the highway and my van actually went from being in the suitable lane to being up on the curb,” he stated, including: “Fortunately, we’re in fairly a giant van”.

Seven UK warnings stay in place:

Amber warning for wind throughout components of Scotland from 13:00 on Friday to 06:00 on SaturdayYellow warning for wind throughout most of Scotland from midnight on Friday till 15:00 on SaturdayYellow warning for snow and ice in a lot of Scotland from midnight on Friday till 11:00 on SaturdayYellow warning for snow and ice for Northern Eire from 19:00 on Friday till 10:00 on SaturdayYellow warning for ice for Midlands, east and south-east England, and Wales from 03:00 till 10:00 on SaturdayYellow warning for wind for south-east and west England, Wales, Northern Eire, and south-west Scotland from 08:00 till 15:00 on SundayYellow warning for rain for Wales, southern England, and the Midlands from 08:00 on Sunday till 06:00 on Monday

Extra reporting by George Wright.