The Met Office has issued two yellow weather warnings for snow and ice covering 35 towns and cities - with the icy blast set to strike this weekend

Follow live as Storm Eowyn hits the UK and Ireland, with record-breaking winds already reported. The entire country is covered by alerts for wind and rare red weather warnings have been issued for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

What is a sting jet? Met Office explains dangerous weather phenomenon behind 114mph gusts - Dangerous weather phenomenon brings strongest ever recorded gusts to Ireland

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.

The Met Office has issued an ice warning for the entire West Midlands region. The warning is in place from 3am until 10am tomorrow on Saturday (January 25), lasting for seven hours.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: “The strongest gusts are likely to be felt across parts of Northern Ireland, northern England, north-western Wales and western Scotland, where exposed sites could get gusts in excess of 80mph, which has the potential to cause impacts for those in these areas.

From Saturday, Storm Éowyn is predicted to weaken as it moves northeast of the UK. Despite this, Saturday will still be breezy for much of the country, with strong winds persisting in the north, but it will be drier for many.

Storm Éowyn is forecast to make landfall in Ireland late on Thursday before moving on to the rest of the UK on Friday according to Met Office models. The storm will bring gusts of 80mph to coastal areas and 60mph inland with potential for a danger to life caused by flying debris.

Storm Eowyn has hit Britain and Ireland with “once in a generation” hurricane-force winds, cancelling more than 1,000 flights and leaving 250,000 homes without power as forecasters warn more is to come.

Winds reached 100mph as Storm Eowyn caused travel disruption and left thousands without power across the UK and Ireland. Rail services, flights and ferries have been cancelled across the country as rare red weather warnings are in place on Friday in Scotland. A previous red warning covering Northern Ireland has been downgraded to amber.

Ireland's national weather service says the country has seen 114 mph wind gusts, the highest ever recorded on the island.