Hurricane Ophelia swept into Ireland with deadly force today as two people were killed, 120,000 homes lost power, trees were flattened and roofs were ripped off buildings in what could be its worst storm in 56 years.

A woman in her 50s died when her car was struck by a falling tree as she was driving near Aglish in Waterford, while a man in his 30s was killed in a chainsaw accident as he tried to remove a fallen tree in Cahir, Co Tipperary. Gusts of up to 97mph hit Roche's Point Lighthouse in Cork as Ireland's schools closed early, flights were grounded and bridges were shut, while fears were raised that flooding could hit parts of western England and Wales today.

Troops were placed on standby in Ireland and many public services closed amid fears about the impact of winds. Elsewhere there were 1,300 customers without power in Northern Ireland and another 200 in Wales. The remnants of Ophelia, which was previously classified as a hurricane as it made its way across the Atlantic Ocean, are resulting in 'exceptional' weather - exactly 30 years after the Great Storm of 1987 killed 18 people. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has urged the public to stay safe, saying: 'The advice is: stay indoors until the storm passes. Whether that is at work, in their home or some other home, stay indoors.

'Check on neighbours and relatives. Bear in mind it is coming your way and it is a national red alert. It is a very dangerous storm. The last time there was a storm this severe 11 lives were lost.'

Motorists on the M77 in western Scotland faced lengthy tailbacks as a lorry overturned in high winds at about 8.30am and blocked the southbound lane for more than a hour. A yellow warning for high winds is in place for much of Wales, Scotland, north-east England, north-west England, south-west England and the West Midlands. Parts of Scotland and Wales have been upgraded to amber.

Forecasters have warned of flying debris, such as tiles blown from roofs, as well as large waves around coastal districts with beach material being thrown on to coastal roads, sea fronts and properties.

'It will be gradually easing up into Scotland overnight and into Tuesday morning, it's weakening as it goes,' Met weather forecaster Grahame Madge said.