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.

Storm Eowyn Friday continued to cause power outages for hundreds of thousands, knocked down trees and disrupted transportation as it moved across Scotland and Northern Ireland into Britain's West Midlands region.

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

The storm brought 100 mile-per-hour winds to the island and also battered Scotland and northern England. Britain’s weather office issued a red warning, its highest level of alert.