Red weather warnings have been issued for parts of the UK as Storm Éowyn is set to bring wind gusts of up to 100 mph.

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Thousands of schools are expected to close, with drivers also warned to stay off the roads and rail services suspended amid rare red weather warnings as Storm Eowyn gets set to batter parts of the UK.

However, a major change in the UK’s weather starts on Thursday, as a front bringing heavy rain moves eastwards through the day. Conditions turn both wet and windy during the early hours on Friday morning as Storm Éowyn arrives, with rain starting off as snow over parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and higher ground in northern England.

As Storm Éowyn weakens and clears to the northeast of the UK, Saturday will remain a breezy day everywhere with strong winds persisting in the north. It will be drier for many, with showers replacing persistent heavy rain, these wintry in the north, especially over higher ground.

More than four million people across Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland have received emergency alerts on their phones in the “largest real life use of the tool to date”, the Government said.

A number of train companies including Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry have told customers not to travel on routes to Scotland and north Wales.

The storm, named Eowyn, is being fueled by the same weather pattern that has brought brutal cold and a rare winter storm to the Southern United States.

Rail services and flights have been axed, with rare red weather warnings issued for Scotland and Northern Ireland as Storm Eowyn is likely to damage buildings, uproot trees and cause power cuts, the Met Office said.

Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald sounded the alarm while appearing before the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

Red warnings have been issued for Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland on Friday, as the dangerous Storm Éowyn heads towards the UK. The rare warnings for wind mean flying debris could cause a danger to life, with gusts up to 100mph (161km/h) along some exposed coasts.

The UK is is set to see strong winds and heavy rain from Storm Eowyn which will batter the country with gusts up to 100mph and hundreds of schools are expected to close