Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: “The strongest gusts are likely to be felt across parts of Northern Ireland, northern England, north-western Wales and western Scotland, where exposed sites could get gusts in excess of 80mph, which has the potential to cause impacts for those in these areas.

Storm Éowyn is forecast to make landfall in Ireland late on Thursday before moving on to the rest of the UK on Friday according to Met Office models. The storm will bring gusts of 80mph to coastal areas and 60mph inland with potential for a danger to life caused by flying debris.

According to the Met Office, yellow and amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods. The impacts can include damage to property, travel delays and cancellations, loss of water supplies, power cuts, and, in the most severe cases, danger to life.

The Met Office yellow alert came into force at midnight and runs until 11.59pm tonight. Wind gusts could be up to 54mph in the early hours accompanied by heavy rain and the alert warns of a 'danger to life' from flying debris.

Britain is set to be battered by winds of up to 90mph from Storm Eowyn as the Met Office warned of a danger to life in parts of the country over the next few days. Very strong winds are forecast to strike the north of England, south of Scotland and North Wales.

The Met Office has warned Storm Eowyn could see winds of up to 90mph hammer parts of the UK, with 'widespread disruption and significant impacts expected'

The UK is bracing itself for Storm Eowyn bringing tornados and ‘danger to life’ due to strong winds of up to 100mph in some areas. Forecasters have now described Storm Eowyn as a one in a hundred-year event after upgrading their weather warnings to cover the entire British Isles.