Status Red weather warnings are now active right across the island of Ireland as the country battles Storm Eowyn's hurricane force winds. More than 500,000 people are without power with more outages expected throughout the day.

Red warnings for wind cover the entirety of Ireland and parts of Scotland as the storm brings staggering winds posing a danger to life. Trains and flights across the UK face cancellation or disruption and schools have been closed.

STORM EOWYN: Strongest ever wind gust recorded in Ireland as Storm Éowyn wreaks havoc Provisional wind speed figures recorded by Met Éireann overnight indicate that Storm Éowyn is the strongest-ever storm to pass over Ireland. Wind speed records have been recorded since 1945 and they were broken overnight.

Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are braced for one of the most intense storms in decades, with forecasters warning of extremely rare hurricane force winds and a danger to life

Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are braced for a storm spiraling in from the Atlantic, bringing gusts of up to 100 m.p.h., with forecasters warning of a danger to life.

NIE Networks said: "Restoration efforts will take significant time as crews cannot begin to work until it is safe to do so"

The latest named weather bomb, Storm Eowyn, has already set a wind speed record as 114mph gales were recorded in Ireland, forecasters have said - with the full brunt of the storm now arriving in the U