An emergency alert has been sent to millions of people in Scotland ahead of a rare red weather warning. People with compatible mobile phones living in the 22 council areas of the country expected to be worst hit by the storm received the alert at approximately 18:00.

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".

Storm Éowyn has hit the UK, with a red weather warning in place across Central Scotland from 10am-5pm. It’s already seen trains and flights cancelled, schools and shops closed, and people have been warned to stay at home and not travel. In Ireland a record wind speed of 114mph was recorded and an unprecedented number of homes are without power.

A red weather warning has been issued for Northern Ireland on Friday, as dangerous Storm Éowyn heads towards the UK. The red warning for wind, posing a danger to life, has been issued, while an amber warning is in place for parts of Scotland and the north of England,

A red weather warning for wind has been issued, with gusts expected to reach up to 100mph in parts of Scotland.

The Met Office has issued an urgent update on a previously issued red alert as Storm Eowyn causes mass chaos across the UK with widespread travel disruptions and school closures. Red wind warnings are in effect in Northern Ireland until 2pm on Friday and in western central and southern areas of Scotland until 5pm.