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Storm Eowyn to hit Scotland with winds up to 90mph

PA Media A man dressed all in black struggles to control a black umbrella next to a huge wave coming over a sea wall.PA Media
Forecasters have warned there may be a danger to life due to flying debris and large waves during strong winds on Friday and Saturday

Gusts of up to 90mph could batter Scotland on Friday and Saturday during the first named storm of 2025.

Storm Eowyn - pronounced "ay-oh-win" - is expected to bring widespread disruption and could cause a danger to life as a result of flying debris, along with power cuts and damage to buildings.

Two yellow weather warnings for high winds – in the north and south of the country - have been issued for Scotland on Friday, with a separate alert in place on Saturday.

Met Office forecasters said wind speeds could reach between 80-90mph in some coastal and hilly areas.

Unsettled conditions are expected to start across the UK on Thursday evening before the first weather warning begins at midnight on Friday.

The southern warning, covering all areas of Scotland up to Angus, is predicted to feature "peak gusts" of 60-70mph inland.

Forecasters warned a danger to life "could occur from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties".

Further north, Angus, Grampian and the Highlands and Islands can expect winds of up to 60mph inland and 70mph around the coast and hills.

The Met Office said "exposed" parts of western Scotland could face gusts of 80mph.

PA Media A massive wave blows over the harbour wall at Stonehaven. The plume of water is white, above a grey sea. Two small boats are in the harbour in the foreground.PA Media
Winds of up to 90mph could hit coastal Scotland on Friday, the Met Office has warned

A separate warning is in place from 00:00 to 15:00 on Saturday, covering all of Scotland. It forecasts up to 60mph winds inland, with up to 70mph near the coast.

The Northern Isles could experience gusts of up to 80mph during that period.

Forecasters said road, rail, air and ferry services were likely to be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible.

They said some roads and bridges may also be closed.

A further area of low pressure could bring more wet and very windy weather across the UK by Sunday.

There is the potential for further weather warnings over the weekend and throughout next week, the Met Office added.

Spokeswoman Andrea Bishop said: "Storm Eowyn will bring a period of very unsettled, potentially disruptive, weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday.

"Pronounced 'Ay-oh-win', the system will begin to influence the UK's weather on Friday, with strengthening winds initially in north-western parts of the UK with accompanying heavy rainfall."

Eowyn is the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 season, which began in October last year.