Storm Éowyn facts for kids
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| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 21 January 2025 |
| Extratropical cyclone | |
| Highest winds | 183 km/h (114 mph) in Galway, Ireland |
| Lowest pressure | 939 hPa (mbar); 27.73 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 1 |
| Injuries | 5+ |
| Areas affected | Ireland and Scotland |
| Power outages | 1,000,000+ across Ireland and the UK |
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Part of the 2024–25 European windstorm season |
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Storm Éowyn was an extremely powerful extratropical cyclone which hit Ireland and Scotland on 24 January 2025. The fifth storm of the 2024–25 European windstorm season, Éowyn was named by the UK Met Office on 21 January 2025.
Widespread red weather warnings were issued across Ireland and Scotland, whilst amber and yellow warnings were issued around Wales and England ahead of the rapidly strengthening storm. It was the most powerful and severe to hit Ireland since Hurricane Debbie in 1961, with wind records breaking an 80-year-old record for the country.
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Storm name
On 21 January 2025, the British 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.
Impact
Ireland
On 24 January at around 05:00, a wind gust provisionally measured at 183 km/h (114 mph) was recorded at Mace Head in Connemara in County Galway. The official highest wind gust from the storm in the Republic of Ireland was 114 mph (183 km/h), surpassing an 80-year-old record for the country when a wind gust of 182 km/h (113 mph) at Foynes was measured in 1945. Moneypoint weather station measured a 159.8 km/h (99.3 mph) wind gust at 04:10. The intensity of winds at Ceann Mhása, Belmullet, and Markree caused data interruption to local weather instruments. A mean sustained wind speed of 135 km/h (84 mph) was measured at Mace Head in County Galway at around 04:00, surpassing the prior 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 Bouy, 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 Mayo and Galway 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 the Republic of 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 impacted by power cuts. Customers in Galway were worst-impacted.
Several instances of downed trees in both counties and in Munster were also reported. Several families in Munster required evacuation after their houses or caravans 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, 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 €3.1 million to construct, was destroyed.
A 20-year-old man in County Donegal died, when a tree fell on his car.
Scotland
Glasgow Airport and Edinburgh Airport limited Flight Operations from 10:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, causing cancellations of flights. At around 14:15 (GMT; UTC 0), Drumalbin weather station in South Lanarkshire recorded 101 mph (163 km/h), the highest wind gust in Scotland from Storm Éowyn so far.
Two people suffered injuries from storm related accidents in Scotland. A fatality, a man in Irvine who was reported to have died after he was hit by falling tiles, remains under investigation.
An SPFL game between Celtic and Dundee got postponed on 25 January due to damages to Celtic Park due to the storm.
Isle of Man
All travel to and from the Isle of Man was suspended, including ferries between Douglas and Heysham operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, as well as Bus Vannin services. Closures include the Isle of Man Airport, the Snaefell mountain road, and schools and government offices. Around 370 homes lost power. The Isle of Man Government declared a major incident part way through the red alert as main roads where blocked cutting off many parts of the island.
The island's airport recorded the highest wind gusts in 20 years.
England
On 23 January, Devon and Cornwall Police said that one person was injured at Holywell Bay, near Newquay, where there had been "caravans blowing". This event was later confirmed by the ESWD as an IF2 Tornado.
There were also thousands of homes without power in County Durham and a number of road closures, including on the A19 and A689.
Northern Ireland
As of 11:30 GMT on 24 January, over 240,000 homes and business were without power in Northern Ireland.
Wales
Places affected were Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital in Bangor and the communities of Bethesda, Tregarth, Llanbedr, Blaenau Ffestiniog and Menai Bridge on Anglesey.There were widespread power cuts across Wales.
Norway
The remnants of the storm hit Norway on 24 and 25 January, causing power outages.
See also
