Many regions are being advised to stay indoors altogether
The Met Office continues to issue red weather warnings to various regions as Storm Eunice continues to batter the UK, disrupt travel arrangments, cause damage to public and private property, and reports of landfalls.
Red is the highest level the Met can issue and warnings have already been issued to London, as well as the majority of the south and southeast; worse than that in Wales, all schools have been closed and public transport cancelled.
BREAKING: All schools have been closed and trains cancelled in Wales today as a result of the oncoming storm.
Sky's @AshnaHurynag reports from Porthcawl in South Wales.#StormEunice: https://t.co/ODHIRZE5io
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/bCEzgAvIyn
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 18, 2022
In short, red warnings categorise the weather as treacherous enough to “cause damage, widespread disruption and/or danger to life”, with that public health hazard seen as more likely than yellow. This is due to unpredictable factors like falling objects and flying debris caused by the high winds, not to mention the possibility of power cuts and traffic incidents.
Videos are circulating online of fences being blown down, tree structures falling apart and even trampolines and wheelie bins being sent hundreds of feet into the air in tornado-like conditions. Winds are said to be reaching upwards of 100mph.
Nothing more mesmerising than watching a flying wheelie binpic.twitter.com/hUpp1r7Gks
— Jono Read (@jonoread) February 17, 2022
Millions are now being urged not only to take extra precautions but to stay home altogether, with Greater London, Kent, Surrey, Essex and East Sussex all issued as early as 4am on Thursday, February 17 and expected to last until 3pm on Friday at the very earliest.
Those travelling between England and Wales were stopped in their tracks after the M48 Severn Bridge was closed and the next best option, the Prince of Wales bridge, was expected to be close around 6am.
This red weather warning is actually in addition to earlier cautions issued along the coastline of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, as well as the south coast of Wales. There are even reports of landfall in the seaside Cornish town of Porthleven.
This follows Storm Dudley, which caused similar disruption earlier this week, but Eunice is predicted to be even more disruptive and potentially dangerous.
COBRA, the UK’s government emergency committee, is set to meet later today to discuss crucial countermeasures and ensure people are cut off; security minister Damian Hinds says the military is on standby to “aid the civil effort”.
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