Ireland has been hit with record wind gusts of 114 miles (183 kilometers) an hour as a winter storm batters the country and northern parts of the U.K.

In the UK, employees have the legal right to take time off work to deal with unexpected emergencies involving dependents, such as a child. This includes situations like sudden school closures due to severe weather.

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

Ferries, flights and rail services have been shut down across Scotland as a large part of the country braces for the arrival of a violent storm. Winds of up to 100mph are forecast during Storm Éowyn with a large part of Scotland's central belt and the south west under a red "danger to life" weather warning.

The UK is being pummelled by the latest storm of the season, with Storm Eowyn coming in with record breaking 114mph winds. Three rare red weather warnings are in place in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland.