Thousands without power as 93mph winds hit Wales

Thousands of people are without power and 50 schools will remain closed on Friday as Storm Éowyn brings severe gales.

Several weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office, including an amber warning for strong winds.

Gusts of up to 93mph (150km/h) have caused multiple power cuts in north and mid Wales and left more than 2,200 people without power in south and west Wales on Friday morning.

Damage to homes and buildings and flooding was likely, according to forecasters, from a storm that poses a "threat to life" in parts of the UK.

Widespread travel disruption is also expected with ferry sailings cancelled into Friday afternoon and both rail and flight operators warning customers to anticipate cancellations and delays.

Flood alerts are also in place following heavy rain overnight.

SP Energy Networks is reporting power cuts to 5,000 customers on its our ManWeb region, which includes the Bangor, Deiniolen and Bethesda areas of Gwynedd and at Holyhead, Dwyran, Moelfre and Amlwch on Anglesey.

"We've seen wind speeds of 90mph with conditions remaining treacherous, hampering our ability to assess and repair damage," said spokesperson Aileen Rourke.

"As soon as it is safe to do so, our engineers will be out in the field working to get the power back on for people as soon as we can."

Further south, the energy supply company National Grid reported 29 different incidents in Powys and Carmarthenshire but had repaired services to all but 702 customers by lunchtime Friday.

Some schools in Gwynedd, Flintshire, Conwy and 33 on Anglesey - half of those on the island - will remain closed on Friday due to harsh weather conditions.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has several flood alerts in force across Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Conwy and Gwynedd, following heavy rain overnight.

NRW has also closed four forests and reserves on Friday due to the risk of falling trees as had the Welsh Mountain Zoo in Colwyn Bay.

Olwen Owen, 74, from Kingsland in Holyhead, lost her electricity on Friday morning.

She was among those at a warm hub which has been set up at Cuffed in Coffee cafe in the town, offering hot meals and drinks to those affected.

"This is the second time in six weeks we've been without electric," she said.

"I don't blame the electric people, they are trying. But it's a long time to go without as a pensioner, my whole house is electric."

George, 11, was off school on Friday as Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi closed, with a school trip to Llangrannog cut short due to weather concerns.

He has no electricity at home and attended the cafe with his aunt and uncle.

"I've come here to charge my laptop to do my homework," he said.

The M48 Severn Bridge is closed due to strong winds while Dyfed Powys Police says road conditions in its region are "extremely poor" due to multiple fallen trees.

The A477 Cleddau Bridge between Pembroke Dock and Neyland is closed to high-sided vehicles.

Gwent Police says officers are dealing with surface flooding on the B4598 Raglan road towards Abergavenny.

In north Wales, there are speed restrictions on the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait.

All ferry sailings between Holyhead and Dublin and Fishguard and Rosslare are currently cancelled.

Transport for Wales and Network Rail have urged customers to check before they travel on Friday and into the weekend with delays and cancellations expected.

They said trains would not run on some lines and speed restrictions would be implemented on some locations to minimise potential disruption.

Rail operators Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, and Grand Central have also warned customers not to travel on routes across parts of north Wales.

Cardiff Airport urged passengers to check for any disruption before they travelled and contact their airline or tour company for updates.

On Friday morning, flights to and from Belfast City had been cancelled.

Caernarfon Town's JD Cymru Premier game against The New Saints has been postponed due to storm damage to the club's Oval ground.

Cardiff Devils ice-hockey team said they have also been forced to take an eight-hour coach journey to play Saturday's Elite League match at Fife after their flight was cancelled.

An amber warning for strong winds is in place from 06:00 GMT on Friday until 21:00 and covers Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Gwynedd.

A further yellow wind warning for much of the rest of Wales is in place all day, though a warning for heavy rain has now ended.

However, the weekend is set to bring more potentially dangerous weather conditions.

A yellow warning for ice covers all of south, mid and parts of west Wales on Saturday morning from 03:00 (GMT) to 10:00.

And Sunday sees two more yellow weather warnings for wind and rain covering all of Wales.

Strong winds are expected from 08:00 to 15:00, while heavy rain is due to last all day and into Monday morning.

Storm Éowyn is the fifth named storm of the 2024-25 season, which began in October.

Gusts of 93mph (150km/h) have been recorded on the Llyn Peninsula, Gwynedd on Friday.

• 93mph - Aberdaron
• 87mph - Capel Curig
• 86mph - Lake Vyrnwy
• 75mph - Mona
• 75mph - Milford Haven
• 74mph - Valley
• 71mph - Pembrey Sands

The strongest gusts ever recorded in Wales were 124mph (200kph) at Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan, on 28 October, 1989.