Sainsbury’s has issued a message to customers confirming it is closing some of its supermarkets and convenience stores today.
The major retailer has said the closures are to ensure the safety of customers and staff following severe weather warnings from The Met Office.
Red weather warnings for wind are currently in force in Northern Ireland and central and southwestern areas of Scotland as Storm Eowyn strikes the UK.
The Met Office has warned that severe gusts of up to 90mph are expected fairly widely and could reach up to 100mph along exposed western coasts.
The forecaster says the gale-force winds pose a risk of significant travel disruption, dangerous outdoor conditions, and the possibility of power cuts and mobile phone outages in some areas.
The red alert is accompanied by wider amber and yellow weather warnings for wind, plus yellow warnings for rain and snow.
All parts of the UK are covered by at least one weather warning on Friday, with the Met Office describing the storm as a “multi-hazard event”.
In response to the weather warnings, Sainsbury’s has confirmed all its stores in Northern Ireland will be closed from 7am until 3pm on Friday.
In Scotland, all stores within the most significantly impacted areas will be closed from 7am to 6pm and will only reopen once it is safe to do so, after the weather warnings are lifted.
In addition, all groceries online deliveries, on-demand services and Fast Track deliveries for Northern Ireland and Scotland will also be cancelled on Friday until conditions improve.
Customers with cancelled groceries online orders and Fast Track orders across Scotland and Northern Ireland will be contacted directly to apologise for the inconvenience.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our colleagues and customers. We understand this decision may be inconvenient to some of our customers and we hope they understand.”
