Storm Éowyn ( AY-oh-win) was a powerful and record-breaking extratropical cyclone which hit Ireland, the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom on 24 January 2025 and hit Norway on the night of 24 January into 25 January 2025. The twenty-seventh storm of the 2024–25 European windstorm season (and the fifth to be named by the western naming group comprising the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands), Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on 21 January 2025.
Widespread red weather warnings were issued across Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, whilst amber and yellow warnings were issued around Wales, England and Norway ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm. It was the most powerful and severe storm to hit Ireland since Hurricane Debbie in 1961, with wind records breaking an 80-year-old record for the country.
Storm name
On 21 January 2025, the UK Met Office and associated organisations in Europe used the name "Éowyn" for the fifth storm of the 2024–2025 season. Éowyn is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings and the name was taken from a list based on suggestions by the public.
Background
The storm was fueled by a strong jet stream and energy from a blizzard a few days earlier, which had brought significant snow to the Gulf Coast of the United States.
Warnings and preparations
Ireland
On 22 January 2025, in anticipation of the storm's arrival, the Irish meteorological service Met Éireann issued an orange wind warning for all 26 counties of Ireland for the period 02:00 to 17:00 UTC/GMT on 24 January 2025 and, in addition, a red wind warning for counties Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick covering the period 03:00 to 10:00 on 24 January 2025. Met Éireann predicted 130 km/h (81 mph) gusts widely, with even higher gusts for a time. On 23 January 2025, Met Éireann and the UK Met Office issued updated red weather warnings for 24 January 2025 covering all counties of the island of Ireland. Anticipated impacts included fallen trees, damage to power lines and power outages, structural damage as well as disruption and cancellations to transport with wave overtopping for coastal areas, especially in the west.
All schools, preschools, colleges and universities were ordered to close for the entire day. Non-essential services ceased and many supermarkets either closed for the whole day or opened after the red alert was lifted in the area.
The Hurricane Hunter aircraft of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) were deployed to Shannon Airport on 22 January, in order to conduct operations studying Storm Éowyn as it approached landfall. It was the first time the Hurricane Hunter aircraft had been deployed to Europe since Hurricane Ophelia in 2017.
Isle of Man
On 23 January 2025, the Met Office issued a red warning for the Isle of Man, the first in seven years, as life-threatening winds reached 137 km/h (85 mph) on 24 January between 07:00 and 14:00. The last red warning had been issued for wind during Storm Eleanor in 2018. Flying debris posed extreme danger, prompting urgent calls for people to stay indoors.
All schools, buses, and the A18 Mountain Road closed by 05:00. Ferry services to Lancashire and flights were cancelled, and the airport remained shut until 16:00.
United Kingdom
According to Met Office forecasts, Storm Éowyn was expected to bring strong winds to much of the UK, with gusts of up to 121 km/h (75 mph) inland and 130 km/h (80 mph) in coastal areas, particularly in Northern Ireland, northern England, northwestern Wales, and southern central Scotland. Heavy rainfall was predicted to affect many areas, causing disruptions. The forecast also predicted that some initial snow might fall in northern areas, transitioning to rain as milder air moved in.
As of 16:30, three yellow wind warnings were in force: one for Scotland and Shetland, another for more central parts of England, northern England, and Northern Ireland. There had also been another for the southwest of England, the entire south coast, and through the northwest Midlands.
Yellow weather warnings for "very strong winds" were issued across the UK for a 24-hour period on 24 January 2025, covering the East Midlands, West Midlands, London and southeast England, northwest England, southwest England, Wales, Yorkshire, and Humber. On 22 January 2025, the Met Office issued an amber wind warning covering north Wales, north midlands, northern England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland. Winds in the amber warning area were expected to reach 97–113 km/h (60–70 mph) inland, 110–130 km/h (70–80 mph) in some areas, and potentially over 140 km/h (90 mph) in exposed coastal and hilly regions. Winds would briefly decrease as the storm's centre passes, primarily affecting Northern Ireland and western Scotland, before intensifying again. A rare red warning for extreme and damaging winds was issued for Northern Ireland and Southern Central Scotland. Winds in the red warning zone were expected to reach 121–129 km/h (75–80 mph) inland (higher winds for Glasgow around 129–137 km/h (80–85 mph)) and 137–153 km/h (85–95 mph), possibly 160 km/h (100 mph) on coasts. Winds would gradually ease later on 24 January 2025, although some strong winds could still affect Scotland. Also, a new yellow wind warning was issued for East Anglia, the East Midlands, the south-east and the London area. An additional amber weather warning was added at 13:00 on 24 January until 06:00 on 25 January, covering most of Scotland. Within the warning area, gusts of 64–80 km/h (40–50 mph) were likely for a time, perhaps higher on exposed coasts and hills, before easing through the afternoon.
On 23 January 2025, a 'red' emergency alert was sent to mobile devices across Northern Ireland at 17:25 UTC and in parts of Scotland at 17:53 UTC. The alert was broadcast to around 4.5 million devices making it the largest scale use of the UK's emergency alert system since its introduction in April 2023.
Additional areas expected to be affected included Tayside and Fife, Grampian, Highlands and Eilean Siar, Northern Ireland, Orkney and Shetland, southwest Scotland, Lothian Borders, and Strathclyde. A further yellow wind warning has been issued for parts of northern England and Scotland on Saturday. A yellow snow warning was issued for central and northern Scotland where outbreaks of rain spreading north-eastward on the morning of 24 January will fall as snow initially, especially on hills, before reverting to rain and eventually easing. Any accumulations across northern England and southern Scotland will be fairly short-lived and largely on hills, where 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) may accumulate in places above 100 m (330 ft) elevation and 5–10 cm (2.0–3.9 in) above 300 m (980 ft). Snow will probably persist for longer north of the Central Belt of Scotland, where as much as 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) is possible above 300 m (980 ft). Given the strong winds expected to accompany the snow, temporary blizzard conditions were considered possible over higher ground, with some drifting also possible for a time, this was probably more likely north of the Central Belt.
Scotland
Ahead of the storm, Transport Scotland warned of severe disruption to the travel network, with Police Scotland advising the public not to travel in the areas covered by the Red alert issued by the Met Office. The 'Transport Scotland Resilience Room' and the 'Multi-Agency Response Team was activated ahead of the storm reaching Scotland, to monitor the situation and condition of the transport network across the country, with Transport Scotland' providing regular updates to the public.
On the morning of 23 January 2025, one day before the storm was expected to make landfall in Scotland, the Scottish Government activated the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SGoRR) to monitor the rapidly developing situation and threat, and also to begin to co-ordinate the Scottish Government response to the storm. First Minister, John Swinney, issued a public statement, highlighting that the "Met Office has, this morning, issued a very rare red weather warning for Storm Éowyn tomorrow. Their advice is clear that potential impacts include danger to life, structural damage to property, and transport and power disruptions". Swinney assured the public that the Scottish Government was ready to respond to the storm and associated damage, announcing that the resilience room had been activated to "co-ordinate help and to support Scotland's front-line responders, including police fire services and the ambulance service". Chief Superintendent, Hilary Sloan, Head of Police Scotland Road Policing said also issued a public statement, stating "the advice of the police throughout the duration of the red weather warning is not to travel, as the conditions outside and on the road network could be extremely hazardous and put you at risk".
Norway
On 23 January 2025, MET Norway issued a yellow warning for Western Norway due to storm Éowyn. The warning was in effect during the night of 24 January into 25 January.
Impact
Ireland
24 to 31 January 2025
On 24 January at around 05:00, a wind gust provisionally measured at 183 km/h (114 mph) was recorded at Mace Head Atmospheric Research Station in Connemara in County Galway. The official highest wind gust from the storm in Ireland was 183 km/h (114 mph), surpassing an 80-year-old record for the country when a wind gust of 113 mph (182 km/h) at Foynes was measured in 1945. Moneypoint weather station (anemometer height 40 m (130 ft) above ground level) measured a 159.8 km/h (99.3 mph) wind gust at 04:10. The intensity of winds at Mace Head (Ceann Mhása), Belmullet, and Markree (near Sligo) caused data interruption to local weather instruments. A mean sustained wind speed of 135 km/h (84 mph) was measured at Mace Head at around 04:00, surpassing the previous Irish record of 131 km/h (81 mph) set in 1945 at Foynes.
A maximum wave height of 10.4 m (34 ft) was measured by the coast of Finnis Buoy, near Doolin.
All flights from 08:00 to 14:00 at Ireland West Airport were cancelled. Several flights at Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport were cancelled or delayed. Aer Arann and Aran Island Ferries announced the closure of all morning services.
At 09:00, 815,000 houses, farms and businesses on the island of Ireland were suffering from power outages, particularly in counties Galway and Mayo and 115,000 homes, mainly in Munster, were without water. By lunchtime, nearly one million were without power on the island of Ireland. The country's worst storm since Hurricane Debbie in 1961 resulted in 768,000 without power at its peak in Ireland. The Electricity Supply Board spoke of extensive damage to electricity infrastructure on an unprecedented scale. As of 25 January, 217,000 households were without water as Uisce Éireann's water treatment plants were disrupted by power cuts. Customers in Galway were worst-affected. Telecommunications regulator ComReg reported that the destruction caused by the storm on telecommunications infrastructure was the largest in Ireland's recorded history. Telecommunications company eir reported that 270,000 fixed-line users were without broadband after the storm.
Several instances of downed trees in both counties and in Munster were also reported. Several families in Munster required evacuation after their homes were destroyed or severely damaged by strong winds, with many cases involving roofs being blown off. At least six to seven downed trees were reported on the N4 road near Newtown Forbes, County Longford, blocking the village off from both ends. Most roads in Longford had trees fall on them. The Connacht GAA Air Dome in County Mayo, which cost over €3.5 million to construct, was destroyed. A 20-year-old man in County Donegal died, when a tree fell on his car.
On 27 January, the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG), the Department of Social Protection's Humanitarian Assistance Scheme and some local authorities set up emergency response hubs to those still without power and/or water. These hubs provide "basic needs such as water, hot food, phone charging, broadband access, shower and clothes washing facilities". On this date, 438,000 electricity customers have had their power restored with 330,000 still without power, with power not being restored for up to 100,000 customers until the following week. Engineers from the United Kingdom have been helping ESB repair crews to restore power. Water company Uisce Éireann said 109,000 of their customers were still without water and declared 126,000 customers were a risk of losing their water supply and that 112,000 customers were being provided water via generators. Eir declared that 110,000 customers had had their Internet restored with 94,000 customers still without.