Storm Pia has caused major disruption across the UK after a yellow weather warning was put in place until 9 pm on Thursday in various regions, with northern Scotland expected to be the worst affected area.
Gusts of up to 115mph were recorded in the Highlands, while wind speeds exceeded 80mph in parts of Northumberland and Shetland.
The Met Office warning covers major cities, including Belfast, Newcastle and Manchester, bringing potential travel mayhem in the run-up to Christmas. Additional alerts for snow and ice are active for Orkney and Shetland until Saturday.
The extreme conditions have already led to fallen trees, power outages, and transport delays across rail networks and airports. Around 850 Scottish households faced electricity cuts on Thursday morning, with extra engineers being deployed.
Several schools in Shetland were shut, given the forecasts. Christmas markets in Sheffield and Liverpool were also closed for safety reasons, with a roof blown off flats in the former. TransPennine Express issued a "do not travel" notice for routes in and out of Edinburgh until after 3 pm.