A massive storm is hitting parts of the U.K. and Ireland Friday, according to the United Kingdom’s national weather and climate service.

A powerful storm has left hundreds of thousands of homes without power and caused massive travel disruptions in the United Kingdom.

Met Éireann, the Republic of Ireland's national meteorological service, said that the country had faced wind gusts of 114mph in County Galway– the highest recorded wind speeds ever recorded on the island.

Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are braced for one of the most intense storms in decades, with forecasters warning of extremely rare hurricane force winds and a danger to life

The storm brought record-breaking winds as it battered Ireland, Scotland and northern England on Friday. Hundreds of thousands of electricity customers were in the dark.

Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland are braced for a storm spiraling in from the Atlantic, bringing gusts of up to 100 m.p.h., with forecasters warning of a danger to life.

Record high winds from Storm Eowyn battered Ireland and Northern Ireland on Friday, leaving 560,000 homes and businesses without power and forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights and the closure of schools and public transport.

Millions of people in Ireland and northern parts of the U.K. heeded the advice of authorities to stay at home Friday in the face of hurricane-force winds that disabled power networks and brought widespread travel disruptions.

Ireland was hit with wind gusts of 183 kilometres an hour overnight, the strongest since the Second World War, as a winter storm spiralled in from the Atlantic before hitting Scotland.

DUBLIN: Ireland recorded its strongest-ever wind gusts on Friday as "destructive" Storm Eowyn barrelled in from the Atlantic, leaving hundreds

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.