Storm Eowyn: Amber warning issued as Scotland to be hit with 90mph winds

The Met Office has issued an upgraded weather alert as Storm Eowyn is set to batter Scotland with 90mph winds in the first storm of 2025.

An amber warning is set to come into place at 6am on Friday and will expire at 9pm.

The warning covers central Scotland, Aberdeenshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, the Highlands, Tayside, Strathclyde, and the Scottish Borders.

Additional yellow warnings for snow and wind have also been issued, the first of which comes into force at midnight on Friday.

Storm Eowyn is the fifth named storm of the season after Storm Darragh brought strong winds and snow to parts of the UK in December.

Storm Eowyn is named after a character in the Lord of the Rings series by JRR Tolkien.

The storm will bring peak gusts of 60-70 mph fairly widely inland, 70-80 mph in some areas, and 80-90 mph along more exposed coasts and hills, the Met Office said.

Forecasters warned that flying debris, large waves, and beach debris thrown onto seafronts, coastal roads, and properties could cause injuries and danger to life.

Road, rail, air, and ferry services may also be affected, with longer journey times and possible cancellations.

Insight

‘Pest from the west’ will batter Scotland with storms and 80mph winds

Philip Petrie

It comes as an explosive cyclogenesis, also known as a weather bomb, is forecast to hit Scotland.

What is explosive cyclogenesis?

Explosive cyclogenesis – sometimes informally known as ‘bombogenesis’ or a ‘weather bomb’ – is the name given to a rapidly deepening area of low pressure – deepening at least 24 millibars in a 24-hour period – and is often associated with major winter storms.

How often does explosive cyclogenesis happen?

Only two or three times each winter, but rarely so dramatically.

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