Schools to close ahead of amber weather warning

Storm Éowyn is expected to bring 90mph winds to parts of the UK

Dozens of schools have announced they will be closed on Friday as Storm Éowyn is expected to bring severe gales.

The Met Office has issued several weather warnings, including an amber wind warning for parts of north Wales on Friday, with gusts of up to 90mph (145km/h) in coastal areas.

Forecasters warned there was a danger to life, with potential power cuts and a chance buildings could be damaged.

Travel is also likely to be affected, with some ferry sailings cancelled, while train operators have advised customers not to travel on routes across parts of north Wales.

More than 30 schools on Anglesey and two in Gwynedd have said they will stay closed on Friday.

Ferry company Stena Line has cancelled several services running to and from Dublin to Holyhead from Thursday evening into Friday afternoon, due to the "adverse" weather conditions.

Transport for Wales and Network Rail asked all customers to check before they travel on Friday and into the weekend as delays and cancellations were expected.

A joint statement added speed restrictions would be implemented on some locations and trains would not run on some lines to minimise potential disruption.

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

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

There are also three yellow weather warnings in place for wind and rain.

The first, for wind, was in place from 07:00 on Thursday until 17:00 and covered most of Wales.

The second for wind is in place from all of Friday and covers the whole of Wales.

Bin collections in Anglesey have also been suspended on Friday.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) announced four visitor sites in north and west Wales would close on Friday due to the forecast.

These are Coed y Brenin, Bwlch Nant yr Arian, Ynyslas, and Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest.

It said the damage caused by Storm Darragh had made its sites more vulnerable and urged people against visiting other forests and reserves it manages, due to the risk of falling trees and branches.

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

The yellow warning for rain is in place from 00:00 on Friday until 09:00 and covers Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Gwynedd, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan.

"There is a chance that damage to buildings and homes could occur, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down," a Met Office spokesman said.

"Road, rail, air and ferry services are likely to be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible."

An amber weather warning is in place across north Wales on Friday

How to keep your home flood-free

• Empty any water butts in the garden before the rain starts to help reduce the rainwater flow into the drains when the storm arrives.

• Check that your home and garden drains are free flowing by clearing out any leaves or debris.

• Clear the roadside drains around your house as much as you can, or get in touch with your local council if blocked.

Who to contact if you experience flooding

• To report flooding on roads, small rivers and streams, blocked drains or grates on highways, you should contact your local council.

• For major river flooding, Natural Resources Wales will help if you are at risk of flooding due to rising river levels.

• For sewer flooding or flooding due to burst pipes, you should contact your water supplier.

Source: Hafren Dyfrdwy

The Met Office has also advised people to secure loose items, such as bins and garden furniture, and gather torches and batteries in case of power cuts.