Millions of people in Ireland and northern parts of the U.K. are being urged to stay at home as hurricane-force winds disabled power networks and brought widespread travel disruptions.

The storm brought record-breaking winds as it battered Ireland, Scotland and northern England on Friday. Hundreds of thousands of electricity customers were in the dark.

Ferries, flights and rail services have been shut down across Scotland as a large part of the country braces for the arrival of a violent storm. Winds of up to 100mph are forecast during Storm Éowyn with a large part of Scotland's central belt and the south west under a red "danger to life" weather warning.

Central, Tayside & Fife, south west Scotland, Lothian Borders (including Edinburgh) and Strathclyde (including Glasgow) are all the areas covered by the most severe red warning the Met Office can issue, which is to last until 5pm this evening.

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