Storm Eowyn: What are Met Office weather warnings and what do the different colours mean

Storm Eowyn is set to batter the UK throughout Friday (January 24) and into the weekend. The fifth named storm of the season is set to see strong winds cause potential disruption across a vast swathe of the country.

The Met Office has issued rare Red weather warnings for areas of Northern Ireland and Scotland - with an emergency warning message also being sent to millions of phones in the affected areas. Elsewhere much of the UK also has yellow and amber warnings in force.

But what is the difference between these three levels of weather warning, and why does the Met Office issue them? We looked at each of them in a little more detail.

The Met Office issues weather warnings when there is a risk of weather causing damage, disruption or danger to life. Generally warnings will be issued for heavy rain, wind, fog, thunder, ice or snow. They come in three categories.

Yellow: The lowest of the three. Yellow means you should plan ahead about potential disruption to travel and other day-to-day activities. These are the most common.

Amber: A step up from Yellow, an Amber warning means there is an increased risk of disruption/danger to life and property.

Red: These are only issued when 'extreme weather' is expected. When one is issued the Met Office advise immediate action is taken to keep yourself and others safe as widespread damage, disruption and risk to life is likely. Red warnings are generally rare anywhere in the UK.