A yellow alert for wind also came into force between 3am and 6am for Northern Ireland, while a second warning covering much of Britain came into effect three hours later and was set to last until 6pm, with the Met Office warning of “very strong winds” of up to 70mph.

A fresh amber weather warning for heavy rain has been issued by the Met Office - with much of the UK already on alert for high winds and showers. Northern Ireland, Scotland and the UK's west coast and the Midlands have yellow warnings for wind on Sunday - meaning the possibility of transport delays and short-term power cuts.

High winds have caused disruption across Northern Ireland going into the weekend - with some roads closed by fallen trees and winds up to 70mph expected on Sunday.