What is a red weather warning and when was the last one in the UK?
The UK is being pummelled by the latest storm of the season, with Storm Eowyn coming in with record breaking 114mph winds.
Three rare red weather warnings are in place in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Met Office is warning of a significant risk to life due to flying debris and damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Sea, air and road travel is likely to be heavily disrupted, with Network Rail suspending all services, including replacement buses, in Scotland today.
Follow the latest updates on Storm Eowyn over on our live blog
What does a red warning mean?
A red weather warning is the highest possible alert sent out by the Met Office.
Red warnings are issued when there is a danger to life, along with the likelihood of substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and widespread damage to property and infrastructure.
When one is issued, it means ‘you should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities’.
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.’
Other parts of the country remain under facing amber and yellow weather warnings during the storm.
When was the last red weather warning in the UK?
Storm Darragh in December was the last time a red weather warning was issued.
Before this the last one was in January 2024 when winds battered the north east of Scotland.
A red warning was previously issued for the South-east and east of England, and south Wales in February 2022 in the wake of Storm Eunice, which brought with it winds of up to 122mph.
In 2021, Storm Arwen also led to a red weather warning for wind – covering a large section of the east coast from Aberdeen to Newcastle.
A red warning has also been issued for heat in July 2022, the first time the Met Office had issued such an alert for high temperatures.
That one, issued in July 2022, covered most of central and Southern England when the hottest part of the UK reached above 40°C for the first time ever.
What is an amber weather warning?
The Met Office describes an amber warning as ‘an increased likelihood of impacts from severe weather, which could potentially disrupt your plans.
‘This means there is the possibility of travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property. You should think about changing your plans and taking action to protect yourself and your property.
‘You may want to consider the impact of the weather on your family and your community and whether there is anything you need to do ahead of the severe weather to minimise the impact.
What is a yellow weather warning?
Yellow weather warnings are issued when the weather is likely to have a more low-level effect.
Many are issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low-level impacts, including some disruption to travel, the Met Office says.
‘Many people may be able to continue with their daily routine, but there will be some that will be directly impacted so it is important to assess if you could be affected.’
As these are used for a range of weather scenarios, the advice is to ‘read the content of yellow warnings to determine which weather situation is being covered by the yellow warning’.
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