Police said Friday is expected to see the strongest winds in the region since the Boxing Day storm in 1998 which caused widespread disruption.

A wind speed of 114mph brought by Storm Eowyn has been recorded in Ireland, the fastest since records began, Irish forecaster Met Eireann said.

The Business Secretary has left the door open to joining a tariff-free trading scheme with Europe following a meeting with the EU trade commissioner in Davos.

Nationwide Building Society said that despite some modest recent improvements in housing affordability, the deposit hurdle remains high.