Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: “The strongest gusts are likely to be felt across parts of Northern Ireland, northern England, north-western Wales and western Scotland, where exposed sites could get gusts in excess of 80mph, which has the potential to cause impacts for those in these areas.

According to the Met Office, yellow and amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods. The impacts can include damage to property, travel delays and cancellations, loss of water supplies, power cuts, and, in the most severe cases, danger to life.

A number of supermarkets and businesses are closed and Translink has suspended all bus and train services on Friday morning