A​ powerful "bomb cyclone" named Storm Éowyn (pronounced AY-oh-win) has pummeled parts of Ireland and the United Kingdom with fierce winds and heavy rainfall Friday, and it has roots in the historic winter storm that just hit the U.

Ireland's national weather service says the country has seen 114 mph wind gusts, the highest ever recorded on the island.

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

TRAVEL chaos caused by Storm Eowyn has forced a change in referee for Leinster’s game against the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship. The devastating storm has wreaked havoc across

Millions of people in Ireland and northern parts of the U.K. were urged to stay at home Friday as hurricane-force winds disabled power networks and brought widespread travel disruptions.

Hundreds of flights are canceled and ground transportation is suspended as a severe winter storm sweeps across the UK and Ireland on Friday.

The red warning for the whole of Northern Ireland will be in force until 14:00 on Friday. It is the first time a red weather warning has been issued for Northern Ireland since an impact-based system was introduced in 2011.

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

Micheál Martin became Ireland’s taoiseach (prime minister) for the second time in his political career on Thursday, a day later than planned.