Storm Eowyn live: New snow and wind warnings issued as travel chaos continues after 100mph gusts

Motorists should take “great care” while travelling in areas affected by Storm Eowyn, car insurer RAC has said.

“With Storm Éowyn set to leave heavy rain and wind in its wake, the forecast indicates ongoing disruption for drivers in the west of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland,” RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said.

“Fallen trees and debris, alongside flooding continuing through the weekend, will make journeys longer than usual and in the worst-case scenario, obstruct or block routes altogether.

“Motorists should still take great care and allow more time for their journeys or delay them until the worst weather has passed. The increased likelihood of standing water also means there’s a risk of aquaplaning, where a thin layer of water causes the vehicle’s tyres to lose contact with the road when driving at faster speeds.”

Shane Egan, a 33-year-old train driver from County Galway was in Manchester when the worst of the storm hit on Thursday night.

“My wife was in the house with my other two sons and at about three o’clock in the morning, she heard a big crash and the house shook,” Mr Egan said.

“She texted me again at five in the morning saying, ‘Shane, I’m so scared’. The doors in the house were opening and slamming. The wardrobes were moving, everything was shaking.”

Emma Egan, 35, was unable to go outside to assess the damage that night due to safety concerns.

But she received a knock on her door on Friday morning from a neighbour who told her her house was “falling down”.

When Ms Egan inspected outside, a pile of bricks and slates was on the ground after the gable end of the home had given way.

Storm Eowyn has been “pretty exceptional” and was “probably the strongest storm” to hit the UK in at least 10 years, the Met Office has said.

It was the most intense in “more like 20 or 30 years” for some parts of the country, forecasters added.

Parts of Ireland saw the highest windspeeds since records began after they reached 114mph in Mace Head, Co Galway, on Friday.

A gust of 100mph was recorded at Drumalbin in South Lanarkshire in Scotland that day.

Kacper Dudek, 20, died after a tree fell on his car at Feddyglass, Raphoe in Co Donegal, early on Friday and Irish police are investigating the incident.

Here are the weather warnings in place for Saturday evening:

A yellow snow and ice warning covers Northern Ireland and almost all of Scotland, barring the western and northern coasts. It will be in place until 10am on Sunday. A yellow wind warning is in place for north west Scotland until 6am on Sunday.

January and February will see two remarkable planetary alignments, with one of them offering stargazers a chance to witness a celestial spectacle that will not be repeated for another 400 years.

On Friday 24 January and Saturday 25 January, six planets will line up in the night sky, in an event that some astronomers refer to as a planetary parade.

The planets will be together in the night sky throughout the rest of January and February, with weather conditions in the UK looking favourable for a decent viewing this weekend.

An emergency Cobra meeting was held over Storm Eowyn, a government spokesperson said.

The government will “stand ready to provide further support”, the spokesperson added, after the meeting chaired by chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden.

Storm Eowyn could bring “significant” flooding, the Environment Agency has said.

“Following the disruptive wind and rain brought by Storm Éowyn, significant surface water flooding impacts are possible in central and South West parts of England on Sunday and overnight into Monday due to further heavy rain, with minor impacts possible more widely,” said Sarah Cook, the agency’s flood duty manager.

“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and will support local authorities in their response. We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.

“People should check their flood risk, sign up for free flood warnings and keep up to date with the latest situation at by searching ‘check my flood risk’, and follow @EnvAgency on X for the latest flood updates.”

A flurry of fresh weather warnings for snow, wind and rain were issued on Saturday as Storm Eowyn continues to batter the UK and Ireland.

Flights have been cancelled, major rail routes closed and ferry services axed again on Saturday after winds surpassing 100mph hit parts of Britain throughout Friday. Millions were left without power due to the vicious storm.