Storm Eowyn: NI's north coast set for battering as winds reach highs of 97mph during red weather warning
The north coast is expected to bear the brunt of today's extreme winds caused by Storm Éowyn - with gusts of up to 97mph forecast for Ballycastle.
The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for Northern Ireland, meaning dangerous conditions make it "very likely that there will be a risk to life". The PSNI has declared a major incident and said they expect the strongest winds in the region since the Boxing Day storm in 1998 which caused widespread disruption.
There are already numerous reports of trees and electricity poles being felled by the high winds across the country.
READ MORE: Storm Eowyn red weather warning causes major disruption across Northern Ireland
READ MORE: Storm Eowyn wakes Northern Irish woman up at 6am and she makes terrifying discovery
The high of 97mph is likely to be felt at around 11am today. The north-west is also expected to be badly hit, with gusts of 94mph due in Derry and Coleraine.
Elsewhere in Derry, there are highs of 93mph in Limavady, with the same force expected in Strabane, Co Tyrone. Also breaching the 90mph mark are Dungiven (91mph), Kilrea (91mph) and Maghera (90mph).
The east of the country is expected to fare slightly better, with highs of 89mph in Larne on the east Antrim coast, and 88mph further inland in Ballymena. In Crumlin, near Belfast International Airport, which has seen several flights cancelled today, winds were expected to reach a blustery 86mph.
Things remain slightly calmer in Belfast, with reported highs of 84mph. Again, dozens of flights have been cancelled to and from Belfast City Airport.
The flurry will die down from midday, although winds will remain in the high 60s and 70s until this evening.
Follow our blog here for live updates on Storm Eowyn.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.