Ireland has been hit with record wind gusts of 114 miles (183 kilometers) an hour as a winter storm batters the country and northern parts of the U.K.

Officials have closed schools and warned people to stay indoorsParts of Ireland and Northern Ireland are grappling with the devastating impact of Storm Eowyn, which hit early Friday with wind speeds exceeding 180 kilometers per hour.

The storm had knocked out power to more than half a million utility customers by early Friday as it moved across Ireland.