Storm Eowyn claims first life as dangerous 114mph ‘STING JET’ batters UK & leaves 1mil without power in ‘major incident’

A MAN has died after a tree fell on his car during Storm Eowyn as 114mph gales continue to batter the UK. Three red "danger to life" wind warnings have issued for today with more than a thousand flights cancelled and millions told to "stay at home".

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An ambulance attends the scene of a crash on A19 near to the A690 Durham Road in County DurhamCredit: PA

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A fallen tree blown over in the wind during Storm Eowyn in BelfastCredit: EPA

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People view large waves in Porthcawl, WalesCredit: Reuters

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The red warnings cover parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of ManCredit: MET Office

A tree fell on the man's car at around 5.30am at Feddyglass in Raphoe, Co Donegal. The driver of the car died and his body remains at the scene on the N14 road in the north-west of Ireland.

Gardai say they are working with the local authority and third party contractors to facilitate the removal of the man's body. The Met Office says the storm is likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and cause power cuts. It comes as...

• At least 1,070 flights have been axed at airports in Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow due to the severe conditions
• A gust of 100 mph has now been recorded at Drumalbin in Scotland, the Met Office has said
• 93,000 homes and business in Northern Ireland have suffered power cuts
• Train operator ScotRail suspended all services across Scotland today
• A GMB reporter was battered by Storm Eowyn gales live on air

There are rare red alerts in place across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.

It is the first such warning issued for the island in seven years and as a result Ronaldsway Airport says it will remain closed. Lesser wind warnings cover much of the rest of the UK - while snow and ice yellow warnings have been issued for the weekend. A gust of 100mph has now been recorded at Drumalbin in Scotland, the Met Office has said.

Prior to that, a top speed of 96mph was recorded at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland. While 93mph was measured at Aberdaron in Gwynedd, north Wales, earlier this morning.

Storm Eowyn batters Glasgow with high winds forcing many people to stay indoors as a red weather warning was put in place

Around 4.5 million people in affected areas received an emergency alert on their phones on Thursday from RAC Breakdown in what has been the "largest real life use of the tool to date". Analysis of flight tracking website Cirium said 1,070 UK flights have been cancelled[1].

Calmac Ferries on Scotland's west coast and Steam Packet Ferries between Heysham and the Isle of Man both announced Friday's planned sailings had been cancelled. Train operator ScotRail suspended all services across Scotland on Friday 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.

Cancelled flights across UK today

Aviation analytics company Cirium said 1,070 flights scheduled to operate to/from airports in the UK or Ireland on Friday have been cancelled. That is equivalent to 20 per cent of all flights.

The worst affected airports in terms of the number of cancellations are: - Dublin (119 departures, 109 arrivals)- Edinburgh (81 departures, 77 arrivals)- Heathrow (50 departures, 58 arrivals)- Glasgow (43 departures, 42 arrivals) 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. Met Eireann reported the mean wind speed record of 81mph set in 1945 at Foynes Co. Limerick has been broken during the storm.

The Irish weather service said gusts of up to 108mph were expected at Mace Head off Ireland's west coast by 4am. 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. RAC Breakdown advised motorists in warnings areas to stay safe by parking away from trees, keep a firm grip on the steering wheel, avoid coastal routes and watch out for debris. Some 4.5 million people received emergency alerts on their phones warning of the incoming storm in the "largest real life use of the tool to date" on Thursday.

Further amber and yellow weather warnings for wind and rain have also been issued across Saturday and Sunday.