An emergency alert has been sent to millions of people in Scotland ahead of a rare red weather warning. People with compatible mobile phones living in the 22 council areas of the country expected to be worst hit by the storm received the alert at approximately 18:00.

Millions of people in Scotland received an emergency alert to their mobile phones after the Met Office issued a red danger to life warning for wind. The Cabinet Office alert at around 6pm on Thursday in response to Storm Eowyn was the largest real-life use of the emergency system to date.

Millions of phones will blare to the sound of a 10-second siren this evening when the Government issues an emergency alert over Storm Eowyn. The Met Office earlier issued a red danger to life warning for wind across Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.