Roads have been closed, trains cancelled and schools shut as severe gale force winds hit the north-east of England and Cumbria. The region is under an amber weather warning for wind as Storm Éowyn sweeps across parts of the UK.

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.

The UK and Ireland are bracing for Storm Éowyn, with rare red weather warnings issued across Scotland and Northern Ireland, predicting gusts of up to 100mph (161km/h). Millions of residents received emergency alerts on Thursday, urging them to stay home and prepare for potential life-threatening conditions.

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

Millions have received an emergency phone alert over the approaching Storm Éowyn, as schools and transport networks are due to shut and people asked to stay home in parts of the UK.