Storm Éowyn: Liverpool flights cancelled and 'do not travel warning' issued as strong winds hit Merseyside

Storm Éowyn is causing disruption this morning, with winds of up to 70mph expected to hit Liverpool and residents facing cancelled flights, trains and ferries.

An amber weather warning for wind is until 9.00pm on Friday (January 24), covering large swathes of Merseyside - including Wirral and parts of Sefton - and the the North West. A yellow weather warning is also in force until 11.59pm, covering the whole of Merseyside.

According to the Met Office, Storm Éowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption, with power cuts likely to occur and danger to life from flying debris, as well as large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.

The weather service said: “Storm Éowyn will move across the northwest of the UK on Friday, clearing to the northeast on Friday night. This will bring a spell of very strong west to southwesterly winds, with peak gusts of 60-70 mph fairly widely inland, 70-80 mph in some areas, and 80-90 mph along more exposed coasts and hills (perhaps even higher in a few locations.”

As a result, all Mersey Ferries services have been suspended and several flights to/from Liverpool Airport have been cancelled. A rare red warning has been issued for parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and Ireland is facing wind gusts of more than 100mph Ryanair cancelling a series of flights to Ireland this morning. Loganair services to the Isle of Man are also impacted.

Merseyrail is urging customers to check before they travel, with multiple trains across the network delayed or cancelled due to strong winds. The West Kirby line is currently impacted, with services to and from Liverpool Central cancelled.

TransPennine Express (TPE) has issued a ‘do not travel warning’ on journeys between Manchester and Liverpool. The train company warned that the weather may lead to short notice cancellation of services.

In a statement, a spokesperson for TransPennine Express said: “TPE is urging customers not to travel between Manchester/Liverpool and Glasgow/Edinburgh, or on services between York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh, on Friday 24 January due to the expected gale-force winds from Storm Éowyn.”