Miracle moment lucky home owner dodges flyaway roof tile as Storm Eowyn brings hurricane-force winds to UK

24 January 2025, 12:50 | Updated: 24 January 2025, 14:05

This is the miraculous moment ring doorbell footage captured the moment a lucky home owner dodged a flyaway roof tile that had fallen loose during the hurricane-like winds of Storm Eowyn.

The video - which was captured in Anderstown, a suburb of west Belfast - shows the man look up in disbelief as the tile shatter just centimetres from where he was standing as he tried to secure a trampoline.

The Met Office issuing a red weather warning for wind across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland on Friday.

Amber alerts are also in place across large swathes of England and Wales for Friday and Saturday.

As a result, schools have been closed and people warned not to travel, with 100mph winds posing a "danger to life".

In the Republic of Ireland, a wind speed of 114mph has been recorded, the fastest since records began, Irish forecaster Met Eireann said.

Part of the roof of the University of Dundee School of Medicine building at Ninewells Hospital has been partially ripped apart as a result of the high winds.

Irish premier Micheal Martin has described it as an "historic storm".

Deputy premier Simon Harris said: "Ireland has experienced the highest winds ever recorded and our power outages are widespread.

"Continue to heed the red warning and do not travel. The sea and shoreline are extremely dangerous."

The storm has caused extensive and widespread damage to the electricity network, with power outages affecting 715,000 homes, farms and businesses in the Republic of Ireland, and more than 240,000 in Northern Ireland.

Significant further outages are expected as Storm Eowyn moves across the country.

Transport

Train operator ScotRail has suspended all services across Scotland on Friday, saying it "would not be safe to operate passenger services due to forecast weather conditions".

A number of train companies including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, CrossCountry and Grand Central have also told customers not to travel on routes across parts of north Wales, Scotland and northern England with no services running.

Train services across Northern Ireland have been halted.

Meanwhile, Transport for Wales has warned of last-minute changes to services and cancellations.

Glasgow and Edinburgh Airport said they were limiting airport operations on Friday, with the former citing a "significant level of flight cancellations" while Belfast International warned of significant disruption to flights.

Belfast International Airport said it was "anticipating that the weather alert issued will result in flights being impacted".

National Highways said the A66 between the A1M in North Yorkshire and M6 in Cumbria, as well as the A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire were both closed overnight due to strong winds.

Read more: Millions receive emergency alert after Met Office issues red danger to life warning for wind ahead of Storm Eowyn

Read more: Rare red ‘danger to life’ weather alert issued ahead of Storm Éowyn

Schools and universities

All schools in Northern Ireland and central and southern Scotland have been advised to close on Friday.

Queen's University in Belfast said in a post on X the campus will be closed and teaching moved online "where appropriate and possible".

Edinburgh Napier University and Ulster University are also among the sites closing their campuses.

Attractions

Titanic Belfast said they will close their doors to the public as a "precautionary measure" ahead of the storm.

The venue's team said: "All pre-booked customers and clients will be contacted by our team directly to rebook their tickets.

"We will reopen on Saturday 25th January as normal.

"We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused but we must prioritise the safety of our visitors, clients and staff."

In Scotland, Edinburgh Castle will also be closed to visitors.

Glasgow Life, which runs libraries and museums in the city said it would be closing all of its sites on Friday.

The V&A Dundee will be closed on Friday but plans to open as usual on Saturday.

Health services

NHS Lothian has cancelled all non-urgent procedures for Friday.

A statement said: "Emergency and urgent planned procedures and some urgent outpatient appointments will still go ahead and urgent cancer treatment and surgery will be prioritised, as well as renal dialysis and Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT).

"Patients do not need to call to check if their appointment will go-ahead.

"Patients will be contacted in advance if their case is considered urgent and arrangements will be made directly with them.

"Vaccination appointments will be postponed and clinics will be closed. Patients will be contacted by the vaccination teams as soon as possible to reschedule.

"These decisions do not include community services. Patients should contact their local health centre or GP surgery to find out whether the adverse weather has affected their appointment."

NHS Lanarkshire has also paused all non-urgent appointments in both hospital and community settings.

Sport events

The Scottish Women's Premier League match between Celtic and Hearts has been postponed.

Flooding risk

The Environment Agency issued a statement on Thursday warning of the potential risks of flooding in England over the weekend.

Sarah Cook, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said "minor inland surface water flooding" are to be expected in the South West of England on Friday due to heavy rains.

She added: "Heading into the weekend, further rainfall could also lead to the possibility of some significant surface water impacts in the South West, Midlands, and the South East on Sunday and Monday.

"Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and will support local authorities in their response.

"We urge people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car."

People are advised to check their flood risk and keep to date with the latest situation in their area, Ms Cook said.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy added: "Ahead of the arrival of Storm Eowyn, I am receiving regular updates from the Environment Agency on their operational response across the country.

"I have reassurances that their teams are actively working in communities to reduce the possible impact of flooding.

"I strongly urge the public to sign up for free flood warnings, keep up to date with the latest situation and follow the advice of the emergency services, and I will be closely monitoring the situation as it develops."