UK weather service Meet the Office stated that the strongest winds were in the north of England, with speeds of 43.8 meters per second measured at Brizlee Wood Northumberland.

About 120 trucks stuck in the snow near Rochdale. There were further warnings of wind, snow and ice across the UK on Saturday.

Red danger warning

A rare red alert is issued from 3pm on Friday to 2am on Saturday. It is expected that winds will ease and levels will adjust to orange and yellow for the rest of the day. However, very strong gusts of wind can be expected in some areas, according to the weather service.

People were advised to travel only when absolutely necessary, and the winds had ravaged large parts of England overnight.

In Northern Ireland, a man died when he was hit by a falling tree in County Antrim on Friday, and another man was crushed by a falling tree in Cumbria. In Scotland, 80,000 people lost power, reports BBC.

Strong winds

The gusts overnight affected much of the UK, according to the Met Office, with building damage and fallen trees.

Winds were blowing at 38 meters per second in County Down in Northern Ireland, while Inverbervie on Scotland’s northeast coast experienced gusts of 35 meters per second. In Aberporth, Wales, wind speeds reached 34 meters per second.

There have been power cuts in several places, roads have been blocked by falling objects in the worst-affected areas of Scotland, and all train departures north of Newcastle were canceled after winds and heavy rain and snowfall.

Cold weather is expected to grip the weekend in the north-east and north-west of England, in Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the East Midlands.