A quarter of a million homes across Ireland lost power while communications were also disrupted as the storm hit on Monday, and it continued its path across Britain on Tuesday morning. The strongest wind recorded was 109mph, at Fastnet. Cumbria experienced peaks of 70mph on Monday night.
Wales, the Isle of Man and Southern Scotland are expected to be further affected on Tuesday, with weather and flood warnings in place across Scotland and northern England. Roads, rail and air services have been affected, with people warned not to travel unless their journey is necessary.
Tragically, three people have so far died in the storm, according to the BBC. One young woman in her 50s was killed after a tree fell onto her car in Waterford, while a man in County Louth died in a similar incident. The third death occurred after a chainsaw accident in Tipperary involving a man in his 30s who was removing a felled tree.
Across much of Britain, with the worst of the weather still set to strike, a strange phenomenon was witnessed: a sun the colour of a blood orange, set in a gloomy sky that produced a quality of light not dissimilar to that seen during an eclipse.
The explanation given by meteorologists is that the storm was so powerful that it has thrown tonnes of dust and sand miles into the atmosphere. Those particles, still being carried by the weather system, disrupt the blue light shining from the sun, thus leaving it with a red hue.
So unusual is the phenomenon, particularly in tandem with the unseasonably warm temperature, that much of the country is currently in a state that almost seems other-worldly.
Further winds are expected to hit Britain on Tuesday as the storm moves across to the east of Scotland and Yorkshire.
Credit: Alamy
Red sky at night, and other mysteries solved: The science of sunrise and sunset
Is the 'Red Sky at night' saying true? What's the difference between sunrise and sunset? And why does the sky
The Great Storm of October 1987: Stories and pictures from a night that changed Britain
It's 30 years since the Great Storm of 1987 wrought havoc across England and Wales – we've brought together stories from
Credit: Shutterstock
Starry skies of Britain: 10 of the best places to go stargazing in the UK
Britain's starry skies can be spectacular, but you need to be in the right place to avoid light pollution. Julie
-
'Never has there been a more important time to publicise great Victorian and Edwardian buildings in peril': The importance of saving our historic buildingsFor the 16th year, the Victorian Society is calling on the public to nominate Victorian or Edwardian buildings in England and Wales that are in need of saving.
-
A beautiful old farmhouse in 15 acres of breathtaking Scottish scenery, for sale at just £825,000A wonderful country home with almost 15 acres of land has come up for sale at a price which will make urban dwellers question their life choices.
-
Mystery, muse and metaphor: There's more to fog than meets the eyeSmothering, transformative and beautiful, fog’s close-set shroud has inspired titans of literature, cinema and art — and forces the rest of us to look at the world a little closer.
-
Take a bough: How — and why — you should plant a mature treeFor instant impact in a newly landscaped garden, there’s nothing quite like planting mature trees or native hedgerow plants for transformative and long-lasting results.
-
'The view changes with the seasons, so there’s always something new to see': David Beckham on one of his favourite sights in the CotswoldsSir David Beckham discovered this Cotswolds view while looking for a house to buy.
-
'It makes me feel as if I’ve done a good job as a father and that I did the right thing in wanting us to have a house here': David Beckham on why the countryside matters so much to him and his familySir David Beckham talks to Paula Minchin about discovering the joys of beekeeping and gardening.
-
‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now'Now is the time to firstly, hug a tree, and secondly, plant some more — in increasingly imaginative ways.
-
The secret life of seeds: The little wonders that sustain all life on EarthThey might not be especially striking to look at — if you can see them at all — but seeds are among the natural world’s most awe-inspiring marvels.
-
Do not be afraid of this bodysnatching fungi that lives on a lawn in ScotlandThe lawns at Haddo House in Aberdeenshire are luscious and friendly, unless you are the prey of the vile 'Strathy Strangler'.
-
Temperate rainforests are being planted all over Britain — what are they and why do we need them?Glen Auldyn on the Isle of Man is part of a £38 million restoration scheme to re-establish rainforests all over the world. Lotte Brundle went to see what's going on.
