Red 'danger to life' warning extended amid fears Storm Éowyn could last longer than expected
A red "danger to life" warning has been extended for parts of Scotland amid fears Storm Éowyn could last longer than expected.
The rare red wind warning was issued for the Central Belt, Tayside & Fife, Strathclyde, Southwest Scotland, and Lothian Borders from 10am until 5pm today, Friday, January 24.
Widespread disruption is anticipated as forecasters predicted gusts of up to 100mph, which could lead to "flying debris resulting in danger to life".
READ MORE: Storm Eowyn: Emergency services race to single-vehicle crash on Scots road
READ MORE: Storm Eowyn: Glasgow City Building worker suffers head injury after tree smashes through van roof
People are being urged to stay indoors and avoid travelling. There is also a risk of large waves in coastal areas, fallen trees making driving hazardous, and potential power cuts and building damage.
Now, in the latest update to the dramatic scenes witnessed across the country, the Met Office has confirmed the red weather warning has been extended to cover more areas of southwest Scotland.
This means the extreme warning now covers most of Dumfries and Galloway including Dumfries, Dalbeattie, Kirkcudbright, Wigtown, Whithorn, and Stranraer. The warning, like for elsewhere in the country, will end at 5pm.
The entire A75 carriageway is now closed due to the severe adverse weather, which has seen several incidents on that stretch since this morning. The M74 is closed, too.
Traffic Scotland said on X that travelling in this weather "is dangerous to all road users and responders". Police Scotland have urged people not to attempt travel.
Meanwhile, all schools in Dumfries and Galloway are closed, and around 11,000 homes are without power in the region. Tesco has also closed all Dumfries and Galloway stores as the area gets battered by the elements.
It comes after weather experts suggested Storm Éowyn may linger longer than first thought. The Met Office assured that the winds will gradually ease through Friday evening.
However, BBC weather present Joy Dunlop told Good Morning Scotland that it could stay "very blustery" and warned that "even overnight we're going to see very strong winds and the impacts from them".
"Even at 6pm in more Central Belt areas, we are looking currently at our charts seeing gusts of 60mph inland," Joy explained. "If you're in the Northern Isles in particular, even tomorrow, they're looking at storm-force gusts."
Met Office Meteorologist, Mark Sidaway, agreed: “While the worst of the winds from Storm Éowyn will ease later on Friday, Scotland will continue to see gusty winds through Saturday as the low pressure clears to the northeast.
"After a brief calmer spell, another area of low pressure will bring further strong winds and heavy rain through Sunday.
"This low pressure will not be as powerful as Storm Éowyn but it could hamper the recovery efforts of responders in some of the impacted areas from Friday’s storm."
The red warning is accompanied by wider amber and yellow warnings for wind, as well as yellow warnings for rain and snow across the UK.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our newsletter here .
