A FULL list of schools CLOSED today has been been revealed as Storm Eowyn batters the UK with 114mph winds.
All schools in Northern Ireland have been forced to keep pupils at home today as a third rare red weather warning was issued.
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Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man have been placed under the alerts – where rail services and hundreds of flights are scrapped.
Elsewhere, a tornado warning came into force between Bristol and London, according to the European Storm Forecast Experiment.
It comes after residents in Cornwall already experienced a small twister which left house roofs torn off and walls collapsed this morning.
Meanwhile a gust of 93mph has now been recorded at Aberdaron in Gwynedd, north Wales – the strongest gust so far today in the UK, the Met Office said.
Northern Ireland
All schools in Northern Ireland have been told to close today.
These include schools in all of the country’s council areas:
- Antrim and Newtownabbey
- Ards and North Down
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
- Belfast City
- Causeway Coast and Glens
- Derry City and Strabane
- District Council – Enniskillen Office
- Lisburn and Castlereagh
- Mid and East Antrim
- Mid Ulster
- Newry, Mourne and Down
First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, warned the red weather alerts mean “there is a genuine threat to life”.
She urged people to stay at home and “stay safe”.
“Schools are closing, further and higher education colleges are closing, airports are keeping the situation under review,” added the First Minister.
“We’re encouraging only essential travel, only where it is absolutely necessary.”
Wales
In Anglesey the school closures are as follows
- Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones
- Ysgol Amlwch
- Ysgol Cemaes
- Ysgol Goronwy Owen
- Ysgol Llanfechell
- Ysgol Moelfre
- Ysgol Penysarn
- Ysgol Rhosybol
- Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern
- Ysgol Bryngwran
- Ysgol Y Ffridd
- Ysgol Llannerch-y-medd
- Ysgol Y Morswyn
- Ysgol Pencarnisiog
- Ysgol Rhyd Y Llan
- Ysgol Gyrnadd Bodedern
- Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi
- Ysgol Cybi
- Ysgol Fali
- Ysgol Kingsland
- Ysgol Llanfawr
- Ysgol Rhoscolyn
- Ysgol Rhosneigr
- Ysgol Santes Fair
- Ysgol Tywyn
- Ysgol Caergeiliog
- Ysgol Bodffordd
- Ysgol Corn Hir
- Ysgol Esceifiog
- Ysgol Henblas
- Ysgol Llanbedrgoch
- Ysgol Santes Dwynwen
- Ysgol Y Graig
- Ysgol Brynrefail
- Ysgol Pendalar
- Ysgol Tryfan
Scotland
In Scotland, the only council areas which have NOT issued school closures are:
- Fife
- Falkirk
- Stirling
- City of Edinburgh
- East Dunbartonshireer’s
ALL other councils have announced full school closures.
In Aberdeenshire Council, the following schools will be closed:
- Aberchirder Primary School
- Aboyne Academy
- Aboyne Primary School
- Alehousewells School
- Alford Academy
- Alford Primary School
- Anna Ritchie School
- Arduthie School
- Arnage School
- Auchenblae School
- Auchnagatt School
- Auchterellon School
- Auchterless School
- Ballater School
- Ballogie Nursery
- Balmedie School
- Banchory Academy
- Banchory Primary School
- Banchory-Devenick School
- Banff Academy
- Banff Primary School
- Barthol Chapel School
- Bervie School
- Boddam School
- Bracoden School
- Braemar School
- Buchanhaven Primary School
- Burnhaven School
- Carronhill School
- Catterline School
- Chapel of Garioch School
- Clerkhill School
- Cluny School
- Craigievar School
- Crathes School
- Crathie School
- Crimond School
- Crombie School
- Crossroads Nursery, Durris
- Crudie School
- Cultercullen School
- Dales Park School
- Daviot School
- Drumblade School
- Drumoak School
- Dunnottar School (Nursery Currently Mothballed)
- Durris School
- Echt School
- Ellon Academy
- Ellon Primary School
- Elrick School
- Fetterangus School
- Fettercairn School
- Fintry School, Turriff
- Finzean School
- Fordyce School
- Forgue School
- Foveran School
- Fraserburgh Academy
- Fraserburgh North School
- Fraserburgh South Park School
- Fyvie School
- Glenbervie School
- Gordon Primary School
- Gordon Schools (The)
- Gourdon School
- Greenacres Nursery
- Hatton Fintray School
- Hatton School, Cruden
- Hill of Banchory School
- Hillside School
- Insch School
- Inverallochy School
- Inverurie Academy
- Johnshaven School
- Keithhall School
- Kellands School
- Kemnay Academy
- Kemnay Primary School
- Kennethmont School
- Kincardine O’Neil School
- Kinellar School
- King Edward School
- Kininmonth School
- Kintore School
- Lairhillock School
- Largue School
- Laurencekirk School
- Lochpots School
- Logie Coldstone School
- Logie Durno School
- Longside School
- Lumphanan School
- Lumsden School
- Luthermuir School
- Macduff Primary School
- Mackie Academy
- Marykirk School
- Maud School
- Mearns Academy – Closed to pupils only
- Meethill School
- Meiklemill School
- Meldrum Academy
- Meldrum School
- Methlick School
- Midmar School
- Midmill School
- Mill O’ Forest School
- Mintlaw Academy
- Mintlaw School
- Monquhitter School
- Monymusk School
- New Deer School
- New Machar School
- New Pitsligo and St John’s School
- Newburgh Mathers School
- Newtonhill School
- Old Rayne School
- Ordiquhill School
- Oyne School
- Peterhead Academy
- Peterhead Central School
- Pitfour School
- Pitmedden School
- Port Elphinstone School
- Portlethen Academy
- Portlethen School
- Portsoy School
- Premnay School
- Rathen School
- Rayne North School
- Redmyre School
- Rhynie School
- Rosehearty School
- Rothienorman School
- Sandhaven School
- Skene School
- Slains School
- St Andrew’s School, Inverurie
- St Andrews School, Fraserburgh
- St Combs School
- St Cyrus School
- St Fergus School
- Strathburn School
- Strathdon School
- Strichen School
- Stuartfield School
- Tarland School
- Tarves School
- Tipperty School
- Torphins School
- Tough School Transport not operating
- Towie School
- Turriff Academy
- Turriff Primary School
- Tyrie School
- Udny Green School
- Uryside School
- Westfield School
- Westhill Academy – Changes to transport routes
- Westhill Primary School
- Whitehills School
First Minister of Scotland John Sweeney warned: “The Met Office advice is clear, the potential impacts include danger to life, structural damage to property and transport and power disruptions.
“We have to be clear, people should not travel.
“Red weather warnings like this are very rare. Our message is simple, please follow the advice from the Met Office and the police, take this seriously and stay safe.”
It comes as the Met Office said Storm Eowyn is likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and cause power cuts.
Ronaldsway Airport, in the Isle of Man, announced it will remain closed.
Analysis of flight tracking website FlightRadar24 shows at least 334 flights have been cancelled.
Calmac Ferries on Scotland’s west coast and Steam Packet Ferries between Heysham and the Isle of Man both also confirmed planned sailings had been cancelled today.
Train operator ScotRail suspended all services across Scotland today, saying it “would not be safe to operate passenger services due to forecast weather conditions”.
A number of train companies including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, CrossCountry and Grand Central have also told customers not to travel on routes across parts of north Wales, Scotland and northern England with no services running.
Passengers and motorists in areas covered by red and amber weather warnings have been told to avoid travel “unless absolutely essential”.
National Highways said the A66 between the A1M in North Yorkshire and M6 in Cumbria, as well as the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, were both closed overnight due to strong winds.
Further south, the M48 Severn Bridge was closed due to strong winds, while the Tamar Bridge on the A38 between Devon and Cornwall was closed to high-sided vehicles until 5am.
Avon and Somerset reported a number of local roads had been blocked due to fallen trees, advising motorists to “take care when travelling”.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland described the storm as an “exceptional weather event” and said it was expected to bring the strongest winds seen in the country since 1998.
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Red warnings for wind have been issued by the Met Office in Northern Ireland from 7am until 2pm on Friday, and for western and central areas of Scotland between 10am and 5pm.
Gusts of 80 to 90mph are expected widely inland in the warning areas, with speeds of up to 100mph likely along coasts, the forecaster said.
Amber wind warnings are also in place for Northern Ireland, the southern half of Scotland, northern England and north Wales between 6am and 9pm on Friday, and the northern half of Scotland from 1pm on Friday to 6am on Saturday.
Winds reaching 60 to 70mph will be widespread in these warning areas.
There is a yellow wind warning covering most of the UK for the entirety of Friday.
And smaller yellow warnings for snow in Scotland from 6am to midnight, and rain in south-west England and Wales until 9am.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “We reserve the issuing of Red Warnings for the most severe weather which represents a likely danger to life and severe disruption, and that is the case with Storm Éowyn.
“While it will be widely very windy on Friday, with additional hazards from rain and snow, the strongest winds and most significant impacts are likely in Northern Ireland and central and southwestern parts of Scotland within the Red Warning areas, where winds could gust 80-90 mph quite widely for a time, and potentially up to 100 mph for exposed coasts in particular.”
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