Storm Eowyn latest as trains cancelled and Met Office warnings issued ahead of Storm Herminia

The forecast for Sunday afternoon from the Met Office
-Credit:Met Office


Britain and Ireland are reeling from a day of fierce winds after Storm Eowyn caused havoc. Tragedy struck in Donegal after a 20-year-old man, named Kacper Dudek, was killed by a tree falling onto his car on Friday (January 24).

The Met Office issued a rare red alert in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland, with the rest of the UK - including Greater Manchester - issued amber and yellow warnings for wind. Properties were damaged by the storm in Moston and Stockport on Friday, while there was major disruption to flights, trams and trains.

Disruption is continuing today (Saturday) as recovery work takes place following the storm. No Avanti West Coast trains are running north of Preston and no TransPennine Express services are running north of Carlisle - affecting passengers trying to travel between Greater Manchester and Scotland.

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Network Rail is carrying out significant repair works to storm damage on the West Coast Mainline. Engineers were called out to more than 60 incidents in the area, after gusts reached 83mph in Cumbria, while a number of trees are being removed from the tracks.

Three yellow Met Office weather warnings remain in force today. A warning for snow and ice covers Scotland and Northern Ireland from 6pm today until 10am on Sunday, while a warning for wind is in force across north-west Scotland from 6pm until 6am on Sunday, and a separate warning for wind hits north-east Scotland until 3pm today.

A tree on the railway line in Cumbria
A tree on the railway line in Cumbria -Credit:Network Rail

With the country still reeling from Eowyn, forecasters are turning their attention to Storm Herminia, named by the Spanish meterological service. The Met Office has issued several warnings for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

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A yellow warning for wind covers parts of the North West, Wales, the South West and south-west Scotland from 8am to 3pm on Sunday. The warning misses Greater Manchester, but affects the Lancashire and Merseyside coast.

A Met Office spokesperson said: "A further period of strong south to southeasterly winds accompanied by some heavy rain is expected to move into the southwest on Sunday morning, then spread to other southern and western areas through the day. Winds are likely to gust 50 to 60mph quite widely, and around some exposed coasts and hills gusts to 70mph are possible."

Weather warnings in force on Sunday for wind, affecting the Lancashire coast, and rain
Weather warnings in force on Sunday for wind, affecting the Lancashire coast, and rain -Credit:Met Office

Separately, a yellow warning for heavy rain comes into force at 8am on Sunday, until 6am on Monday. It covers much of Wales, the Midlands and the South, including London. A further warning for wind covers Northern Ireland from 10am to 7pm on Sunday.

Heading into next week, another warning is in force for heavy rain across most of Wales on Monday, from 6am to 11.59pm. A separate warning for strong winds also affects the South and most of Wales from 6am on Monday to 6am on Tuesday.