Met Office warn storm Éowyn will bring 'widespread disruption' as weather alerts are put in place

22 January 2025, 13:27

Where is storm Éowyn hitting and how long will it last? Here's everything you need to know about the yellow and amber warnings.

The UK's settled weather conditions in January are about to be disrupted by storm Éowyn this weekend as the Met Office has put in place some severe warnings across the country.

The fifth storm across the UK since October, Éowyn is forecast to bring winds of up to 80mph causing disruption in the areas affected the most. Flooding and snow have also been added into the mix for some regions.

The Met Office has said: "Storm Éowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption on Friday. Power cuts are likely to occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage."

They have also warned of road, rail, air and ferry disruption as well as danger to life from flying debris from damaged buildings and more.

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Here's everything you need to know about the storm from where it will hit the worst, how long it will last and how to stay safe.

What parts of the country is storm Éowyn going to hit?

Amber weather warnings from the Met Office are in place through Ireland and the Midlands with yellow warnings for the rest of the country.

The weather experts have said: "Storm Éowyn will move across the northwest of the UK on Friday, clearing to the northeast on Friday night. This will bring a spell of very strong west to southwesterly winds, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph fairly widely inland, 70-80 mph in some areas, and 80-90 mph along more exposed coasts and hills (perhaps even higher in a few locations).

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"It should be noted that there may be a slight reduction in wind strength for a time as the centre of Storm Éowyn passes overhead, this most likely in parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland, before winds rapidly increase again. Winds will gradually ease later on Friday."

Heavy rain in the south west could cause issues too.

How long is storm Éowyn going to last?

According to the forecast, the storm will begin on Thursday 23rd when yellow weather warnings are in place for South West parts of the UK.

On Friday 24th, Éowyn will be in full force but should begin to ease off before the day is over.

Yellow wind weather warnings remain in place for Scotland on Saturday 25th.

How do you pronounce storm Éowyn and what does it mean?

Set to be a word we hear a lot in the next few days when it comes to the weather, Éowyn is pronounced "ay-oh-win".

The meaning of the name has nothing to do with the actual storm as in old English it means 'Horse joy'. It is also a famous character in Lord of the Rings.

Storms in the UK get their name from a list of agreed names and they are given out alphabetically as the storm season goes on. As this is our fifth of the year, we are on the letter 'E'. We have already had storm Ashely, Bert, Conall and Darragh.

Names for the rest of the storm year, which runs from September to August, are Floris, Mavis and Tilly.

How to stay safe in a storm in the UK

The Met Office has listed a number of ways to help you stay safe in a wind storm. This includes:

• Securing your home: Put away any loose items in the garden or on your driveway and secure anything else such as trampolines and garden furniture.
• Plan your journeys: Check for disruption, pack essentials and take a battery pack for your mobile phone.
• Drive safely: Be extra cautious and drive slowly to minimise the impact of high winds.
• Be extra careful on the coast: Winds are higher in these areas so take care when walking and check local tide times.
• Stay home: Being outside in high winds is dangerous so if possible, remain indoors.