Storm Eunice live: Cobra to meet as millions urged to stay home amid Met Office red ‘danger to life’ warning | UK news

Gusts of as much as 92mph have been recorded on the Needles on the Isle of Wight, the Met Workplace stated.

At Mumbles Head close to Swansea, on the South Wales coast, gusts have reached 87mph, whereas at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly they’ve hit 79mph.

Throughout Storm Arwen in November 2021, wind speeds peaked at 98mph at Brizlee Wooden in Northumberland.

PA Media has this very useful abstract of the journey disruption brought on by Storm Eunice up to now:

Prepare operators throughout Britain have urged passengers to keep away from travelling as emergency 50mph velocity limits are in place in lots of areas.

That is to make it simpler for practice drivers to brake in the event that they spot objects on the observe or harm to overhead wires brought on by sturdy winds. No trains will function in Wales for the whole day.

Which means Nice Western Railway companies from London Paddington are terminating at Bristol Parkway as a substitute of constant to Swansea. Among the many corporations advising clients to not journey on Friday are Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Nice Northern, London North Jap Railway, Southern and Thameslink.

Roads are additionally anticipated to be treacherous on Friday. The AA stated on Thursday it was “experiencing a really excessive demand” for its breakdown rescue companies.

EasyJet stated it has cancelled a “small variety of flights” from UK airports on Friday.

Passengers on easyJet flight EJU8014 from Bordeaux to London Gatwick endured two aborted landings earlier than their airplane was put in a holding sample over the south coast after which compelled to return to the French metropolis. It touched down again at its start line greater than three hours after it departed.

Transport for London urged individuals to keep away from non-essential journeys within the capital.

Gusts of as much as 79mph have been recorded at St Mary’s Airport on the Isles of Scilly and the Needles on the Isle of Wight, the Met Workplace stated.

At Capel Curig in Conwy, north Wales, gusts have reached 75mph, whereas at Mumbles Head close to Swansea on the south Wales coast they’ve hit 74mph, reviews PA Media.

Through the “Nice Storm” of October 1987, wind speeds peaked at 115mph at Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex, whereas additionally reaching 99mph at Gatwick Airport and 94mph in central London.

The south-west coast of England and south Wales have borne the brunt of Storm Eunice up to now this morning however the excessive winds are quickly spreading throughout the nation.

Listed below are just a few early photos from Dorset, Bridgend and Cornwall:

Colleges have been closed throughout 9 counties in Eire as Met Éireann, the nation’s meteorological service, warned of a “brief, sharp however very extreme storm”.

My colleague Lisa O’Carroll reviews:

The federal government’s emergency response committee Cobra will meet this afternoon to debate the response to Storm Eunice, No 10 has confirmed.

The Dwelling Workplace minister Damian Hinds stated the army was being readied to assist if required. He advised ITV’s Good Morning Britain:

Cobra have been convened about ensuring the readiness is in place for this storm. Clearly it comes proper on the again of Storm Dudley.

“We now have needed to study numerous classes from earlier occasions like Storm Arwen and others.

“There are troops as you understand at readiness if wanted, if army help is named for, the Surroundings Company are after all on the bottom, the community operators themselves are additionally in readiness.”

British Airways has cancelled “numerous flights” as a result of extreme gales throughout the UK.

The airline has not confirmed what number of flights have been cancelled, or stated how lengthy the disruption is prone to final, however I’ve requested for extra particulars.

BA’s on-line flight standing checker at present exhibits practically 40 cancelled flights that had been as a result of depart London Heathrow between 8am and 2pm right now – however it’s not clear what number of of those are due to Storm Eunice.

Responding to clients on Twitter, the airline confirmed that arrivals into Heathrow had been additionally affected. It tweeted:

In a press release, BA stated:

“Like different airways, we’re anticipating excessive climate situations at airports throughout the UK on account of Storm Eunice, which can trigger vital disruption. Security is our primary precedence, and we’re cancelling numerous flights.

“We’re doing every little thing we are able to to minimise disruption for our clients, together with placing on bigger plane the place attainable and offering a spread of versatile rebooking choices. We’d wish to thank clients for his or her endurance and advise them to test the newest flight info on our web site earlier than heading to the airport.”

Swansea is anticipated to be one of many locations worst-hit by Storm Eunice because it blows in off the south-western tip of the UK.

Colleges have been closed for 36,000 pupils and civic buildings like libraries and group centres have additionally been shut, as residents are urged to stay indoors.

Rob Stewart, the chief of metropolis and county of Swansea Council, stated the storm poses a “actually harmful scenario” and urged individuals to avoid coastal areas and rivers.

Stewart advised Sky Information:

“I imply it’s, sadly, a mixture that we’re coping with of heavy rain over the previous few days which has swelled the rivers, we’ve acquired excessive tides in the intervening time and, after all, this very, very uncommon red-rated storm so we’re as ready as we could be however it’s wanting very harmful for the subsequent few hours.”

Individuals might have to go away their properties as a result of hazard posed by Storm Eunice, an Surroundings Company spokesman has stated.

Roy Stokes, the Surroundings Company spokesperson for the Midlands, described the climate occasion as a “actually, actually critical scenario” and urged individuals to take heed to native recommendation about whether or not to go away their properties.

He advised Sky Information:

“What I might stress as nicely is that, people, take heed to the recommendation from the emergency companies.

“This can be a actually, actually critical scenario and I do know that individuals don’t all the time wish to depart their properties however on this case it is perhaps the most effective recommendation, so take heed to what you’re being advised on the bottom.

“Regulate issues and we’ll simply watch this come via now and hopefully it gained’t be as unhealthy as we’re all anticipating however we all the time put together for the worst and hope for the most effective.”

Stokes stated the mixture of the excessive spring tides mixed with the storm shifting in was “simply the worst attainable factor actually” for the Severn Estuary, which flows into the Bristol channel between England and south Wales.

He stated the “worst case situation” is that a few of Severn’s flood defences might be over topped.

The Met Workplace web site has extra info on what a crimson climate warning means.

It says winds of 90mph might result in flying particles that would endanger life. There’s a threat that roofs might be blown off buildings and timber and energy traces might be introduced down.

Roads, bridges and railway traces will probably be closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, practice, ferry companies and flights. Energy cuts might have an effect on different companies, resembling cell phone protection. And enormous waves and seashore particles might be thrown on to coastal roads, sea fronts and houses, together with flooding of some coastal properties.

Massive waves had been seen to hit the Cornish coast this morning because the storm was making landfall there round 7am.

In County Durham, individuals woke as much as snow. A lady was seen clearing snow from her automotive in Tow Legislation:

Good morning and welcome to our dwell protection of Storm Eunice. The Met Workplace has up to date its crimson climate warning to incorporate the east of England together with London.

The uncommon danger-to-life warning means tens of millions of individuals have been advised to remain indoors at residence to keep away from 90mph winds.

The uncommon highest alert – that means a significant influence could be very seemingly – was widened simply earlier than 4am, to run from 10am till 3pm on Friday, as a result of fears of the storm “inflicting vital disruption and harmful situations as a result of extraordinarily sturdy winds”, the Met Workplace stated.

The warning protecting Better London, Kent, Surrey, Essex and East Sussex joined an earlier crimson climate warning ranging from 7am alongside the shoreline of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, in addition to the south coast of Wales, as a result of mixture of excessive tides, sturdy winds and storm surge.

You possibly can learn our full early report right here:

We’ll be bringing you the newest updates and photos from across the nation.

To tell us how the storm is affecting your a part of the nation, get in contact by way of e-mail josh.halliday@theguardian.com or Twitter: @JoshHalliday.