A rare red weather warning for "violent storm force winds" has been issued for the peak of Storm Éowyn on the Isle of Man on Friday. Ronaldsway Met Office said gusts of up to 85mph (137km/h) were set to hit the island between 07:00 and 14:00 GMT, representing a risk to life from flying debris.

Friday’s red weather warning is the first in the north since the Met Office changed how it classifies warnings in 2011

Thousands of schools have been closed on Friday as Storm Eowyn batters the country with winds of over 100mph. The Met Office has issed two rare red weather warnings in Scotland and Northern Ireland, as Storm Eowyn is likely to damage buildings,

Storm Darragh in December was the last time a red weather warning was issued. Before this the last one was in January 2024 when winds battered the north east of Scotland.

Several weather warnings - ranging from yellow to red - have been issued across the country, with the worst conditions expected to hit Northern Ireland and Scotland

Storm forecasters say "a strong event cannot be ruled out" in the UK - with an explosive cyclogenesis caused by a major drop in air pressure bringing the "risk of a few tornados".

Red weather warnings, meaning there is a danger to life, are in place as fierce winds bring widespread disruption.