Storm Barra: Floods and 59,000 without power in Ireland as 80mph winds and rain batter UK

Storm Barra has left at least 59,000 people without power in Ireland - and is now battering the UK with 80mph winds, rain and snow.

In Northern Ireland, another 7,500 homes and businesses have been disconnected from the grid, according to NI Electricity.

Parts of west and southern Ireland are on red alert, and there are yellow wind warnings in place across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Live updates as Storm Barra sweeps across UK

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Yellow snow warnings cover southern and western Scotland as well as northern England.

Red warnings in Ireland

Southern parts of Ireland like Co Cork have already been flooded and schools in the worst-hit areas have been closed.

A red warning for wind is in place for Cork, Kerry and Clare, meaning the storm could pose a "threat to life", while an orange warning is in effect for much of the east and west coast.

Wind speeds of 97.5mph were recorded at the Fastnet Lighthouse off the Cork coast earlier this morning, with gusts of more than 80mph expected in parts of the country.

Yellow wind warnings for most of UK

High winds are expected to affect most of the UK until midnight, causing travel disruption for many, and potentially hitting power supplies.

Western parts will see gusts of up to 80mph at times across exposed coastal areas and 50 to 60mph inland, with gusts of 67mph already recorded in the Isles of Scilly.

For the rest of the country, those winds could get up to 50mph inland and 65mph on the coast.

The worst of the winds will be in the South West, Wales and Scotland, with a "small chance" of "injuries and danger to life" occurring from flying debris, large waves and beach material being whipped up into the air.

Roads and bridges may need to close and transport services could be cancelled or delayed.

Yellow snow warning in northern parts of Great Britain

Heavy snow is expected across northern parts of Great Britain and will likely disrupt travel, especially on higher ground, according to the Met Office.

The warning will remain in place until midnight on Tuesday.

There could be delays or cancellations affecting trains and air travel, as well as problems on roads that could leave cars and passengers stranded.

The weather could lead to power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage and some rural communities could become cut off.

Snow will spread northwards across central and northern England into Scotland during the day, affecting areas north of the Central Belt of Scotland during the evening.

Two to five centimetres of snow is expected in many areas on higher ground, with 10 to 20cm likely in parts of the Southern Uplands and Highlands.

Strong winds will cause blizzards in areas with higher altitudes.