Millions of people in Scotland have been urged to stay indoors after the Met Office issued a red danger to life warning for wind.

Trains have been suspended across the country and almost all areas have closed schools. Vehicles have been blown over and roads in some areas are closed due to debris from Storm Eowyn.

• A gust of 86mph was recorded at Dundrennan in Dumfries and Galloway at 9am.
• Buses across Scotland have also been widely disrupted and ferries across the country have been cancelled.
• Police Scotland said no motorists should travel in or to the red weather warning area.
• The Met Office red warning runs from 10am to 5pm and covers the central belt including Glasgow and Edinburgh, stretching north on the west coast to Jura in Argyll and Bute and south to Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.
• Forecasters said the weather conditions bring a "risk of significant disruption to transport and power supplies as well as dangerous conditions outdoors", with "very dangerous" driving conditions because of fallen trees and other debris.

The Met Office has just extended the red warning to include more areas of southwest Scotland.

The Met Office red warning already covered the central belt including Glasgow and Edinburgh, stretching north on the west coast to Jura in Argyll and Bute and south to Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway.

It will remain in place until 17:00

The early impact of Storm Eowyn is already being felt in Edinburgh.

Fallen trees, upturned bins and benches blown across Princes Street Gardens are some of the sights seen already, with many streets all but deserted.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Reuters

Storm Éowyn has already broken records for gusts in the Republic of Ireland.

That was after wind speeds of 114mph (183kmh) were recorded at Mace Head in Galway.

With a red wind warning now in effect in Scotland, here's a look at the type of damage these gusts can cause.

Matthew Sydney
Reporting from Glasgow

A few minutes before the red alert came into effect at 10:00 GMT, Paisley Road West in Govan was close to deserted.

In a parade of 14 shops, only three were open - and one shop assistant told me he was hoping to be able to go home.

In the neighbourhood, the shops that were open were takeaways, small food shops and a chemist.

A few cars were on the road - and the first debris and branches from the storm are beginning to litter the street.

Ben Philip
BBC Scotland

It has been a wet and windy start for the north east of Scotland.

An amber wind warning will be in force here from 13:00 here until 06:00 tomorrow.

Peak gusts could reach 90mph on the hills and coasts.

All schools in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are closed.

Many flights from Aberdeen International Airport have also been cancelled.

A few areas are already experiencing power outages. SSEN says it has restored power to 6,568 customers, with 2,621 currently off supply in the North Scotland network area.

People here remember the disruption and devastation caused by Storm Arwen in November 2021 - during another red warning for wind.

Tens of thousands of people were left without electricity for several days in freezing conditions. And an estimated 16 million trees were damaged in Scotland - a number of woodland areas remain off limits to the public.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which manages power supplies north of the central belt, said it had already restored power to 6,568 customers who had lost supplies since the storm began early this morning.

It said 2,621 customers were currently off supply and it expected further disruption throughout today,

SSEN said it had at least 10 times the usual number of people working in response to Storm Éowyn.

SSEN said if anyone had specific concerns for family, friends or a neighbour who may be vulnerable during a prolonged power cut, they can get in touch with SSEN on the free-to-call 105 emergency number.

A gust of 86mph was recorded this morning at Dundrennan in Kirkcudbrightshire, south-west Scotland.

The Met Office is warning of winds reaching up to 100mph as the storm hits over the next few hours.

Catriona Renton
BBC Scotland reporter

Helen and Bernie McCartney took a stroll in Glasgow city centre before the red alert came into effect.

The couple had travelled down from Moray for a gig but it has been cancelled.

They now plan to batten down the hatches in their room on the 16th floor of the Premier Inn.

The McCartneys told me they wanted to get some fresh air before it gets too bad.

CJ Buckley was also out for a walk on the deserted streets.

He travelled up from Manchester in the early hours after watching Rangers' Europa League defeat at Old Trafford.

Mr Buckley said the roads were fine but the winds were starting to gust when he arrived back in Glasgow at 03:00.

Image source, Flightradar24.com/X

It seems the pilot at the helm of this Ryanair flight has had second thoughts about landing at Edinburgh Airport.

After circling over the Borders, the plane attempted its approach towards the runway, before gaining altitude and changing course.

The flight from London Stansted – currently the most-watched across FlightRadar24 tracking website, external – is now heading back south.

In fact, the website notes that it could be diverting toward Cologne in Germany - more than 500 miles away!

There are 158 cancellations at Edinburgh Airport alone.

Image source, Iain Harper

There are reports of fallen trees across central and southern Scotland as Storm Éowyn hits.

The Met Office warned that the red weather warning means:

• Flying debris resulting in danger to life
• Large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and homes
• Very dangerous driving conditions with fallen trees on roads
• Power cuts affecting other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• Damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
• Roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights

Catriona Renton
BBC Scotland reporter

The winds are getting very strong here down by the River Clyde in central Glasgow

It is hard to demonstrate in pictures just how gusty it is.

But, to give you an idea, I am in a crew van at the moment and it felt like it was going to blow over when we stopped to get some pictures of fire engines attending a building.

Meanwhile, the normally bustling Buchanan Street is eerily quiet as the public heed the grave warnings to stay indoors.

Image source, Traffic Scotland

Traffic Scotland says the entire A75, which connects Gretna and Stranraer in south west Scotland, has now been closed due to several incidents as well as the severe adverse weather.

"Travelling in this weather is dangerous to all road users and responders," it added.

The A75 is the main route across Dumfries and Galloway.

With the red warning now in effect the famous bridges crossing the Forth are starting to feel the power of the storm.

The trains usually seen passing through the distinctive red steel girders of the Forth Bridge have all been cancelled.

The strong winds have also forced the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.

Only the Queensferry Crossing is operating this morning although there are restrictions on high-sided vehicles, caravans and trailers due to 70mph gusts.

Edinburgh Airport has said that no flights will operate during the red weather warning, which lasts until 17:00.

It said airline schedules would be subject to change tonight and in the days to come, and urged passengers to check with their airlines for the latest information.

The Met Office have just issued an additional Yellow warning for snow and ice covering large parts of Scotland.

The warning is effective from midnight tonight until 11.00 on Saturday.

Snow showers will continue to affect Scotland overnight into Saturday morning.

Snow accumulations will mainly be confined to high ground, above roughly 200 metres, where 5-10 cm could develop in places.

Ice will be a more significant hazard with icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces as temperatures fall below freezing.

Image source, Network Rail Scotland

Network Rail Scotland says its team in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, has responded to a fallen tree damaging overhead wires.

But while dealing with the issue engineers witnessed a wall being blown over at the town's station.

Writing on X it said: "We'll repair the damage once the storm has passed."

Image source, Network Rail Scotland

The second red warning issued by the Met Office has taken effect in Scotland. The alert, which began at 10:00 GMT, covers the Central Belt - which includes Glasgow and Edinburgh and surrounding areas.

The Met Office said winds will rapidly increase from west to east into the afternoon, with peak gusts of 80-90 mph fairly widely and perhaps up to 100mph along exposed western coasts.

It said this brings the risk of significant disruption to transport and power supplies as well as dangerous conditions outdoors. Winds will gradually ease through Friday evening.

People are advised by Police Scotland to stay at home.

The red warning will be in place until 17:00 GMT.

Image source, Reuters

Many supermarkets across the country have closed for the day due to the rare red alert.

Morrisons has shut 50 stores in Scotland and details of those affected can be found here, external.

Searches suggest most Tesco, Sainsbury's, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose stores in the affected areas will remain closed until Saturday.

But some Asda stores will reopen at 18:00 - an hour after the red warning expires.

Customers are advised to check details of their local supermarket using online store locators.

Image source, BEAR SE Trunk roads/X

The A1 is closed between Spott Roundabout near Dunbar in East Lothian and Cockburnspath in the Borders due to a number of vehicles overturned.

Emergency services are in attendance and people are asked to avoid the area.