Storm Eunice LIVE: Man falls to death as Met Office issues red alert for 100mph wind

Bristol has declared a major incident as Storm Eunice heads for the city.

Both Severn crossings will likely close due to Storm Eunice, Avon and Somerset Police said.

Schools in Bristol have been advised to close as Brits prepare for 'danger to life' winds of up to 100mph.

In preparation for Friday, Bristol City Council tweeted: "A major incident has been declared in the Bristol area ahead of #stormeunice and the public have been advised to avoid travelling on Friday morning wherever possible.

"Due to this we have advised Bristol schools to close tomorrow - please wait for your school to issue updates."

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Motorists in Devon and Cornwall are being urged to stay at home because of Storm Eunice with winds up to 90mph predicted.

Superintendent Adrian Leisk, strategic lead for roads policing in Devon and Cornwall, said: "Red weather warnings are extremely rare so I would urge everyone to take extreme caution under the circumstances.

"Please do not travel in your vehicle unless your journey is absolutely necessary. If you can stay or work at home, then please do - particularly in the morning when the red weather warning is in place. If you absolutely have to make a journey, leave early and give plenty of time to allow for any disruption.

"Drive slowly to give yourself maximum time to react, turn your lights on to make sure you are visible and, if possible, avoid travelling on roads located near trees or on the coast.

"At present, this weather warning is only in place for one day so please don't put yourself and others in risk for the sake of a journey which doesn't need to be made."

Boris Johnson has confirmed the army is "on standby" to deal with the effects of the storm.

On a visit to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, the Prime Minister was asked if he would deploy the army to combat the red weather warnings put in place by the Met Office and whether financial help would be available for those affected.

Boris Johnson said in response: "So for those who have already been affected by Storm Dudley, we are offering all the support that we can.

"My sympathies to those who are still without power - we are working with the power companies, the local authorities to get their juice restored as fast as possible."

Merseyrail passengers are being advised to only travel if necessaey.

They said services could be distrupted by delays or even cancelled, and advised travellers to plan other ways of travelling.

Strong winds are forecast on Friday 18 February and we expect disruption to our services from midday. Passengers are advised not to travel unless necessary and to prepare alternative transport for the afternoon if services can no longer run.https://t.co/iFaaiwY2QZ pic.twitter.com/9dze4hSUVA

— Merseyrail (@merseyrail) February 17, 2022

The Environment Agency has issued severe flood warnings for parts of the Severn and Wye estuaries in south-west England and south Wales ahead of the arrival of Storm Eunice.

It follows a "danger to life" from strong winds, high waves and a high tide.

Severe flooding to homes and main roads is expected on Friday morning along the Severn estuary at Broadoak, Epney, Framilode, Frampton, Newnham, Priding, Saul and Westbury, and as well as the tidal Severn from Elmore to Rodley and the areas of Hempsted, Minsterworth and Stonebench near Gloucester.

Similar warnings are in place on the Wye Estuary at Brockweir and at Elmdale in Chepstow.

People in these areas should "take action immediately" and implement emergency flood plans.

Water levels will remain high for a prolonged period of time due to a tidal surge with very strong winds and large waves, the Environment Agency said.

London Zoo has announced it will be closing tomorrow.

They said anyone with tickets contact the zoo to arrange an exchange for flexi tickets.

❗ IMPORTANT UPDATE ❗ Due to the #StormEunice weather warning, ZSL London Zoo will be CLOSED this Friday 18 February. If you have already booked tickets, we’ll be in touch as soon as possible to swap these for flexi tickets. We expect to be open as usual on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/e2I0cEXB3N

— ZSL London Zoo (@zsllondonzoo) February 17, 2022

Schools across Rhindda Cynon Taf (RCT) in South Wales will be closed tomorrow.

The council tweeted that remote learning opportunities would be put in place.

RCT Council also confirmed all parks across the borough would also be closed.

Swansea Council was the first to announce all its schools will close for the day on Friday. A council spokesman said on Thursday: "Due to the red weather warning in place for Swansea between 7am and 12 noon on Friday all schools will move to home learning for tomorrow."

Merthyr Tydfil will also close schools.

A spokesman said: "Following advice from the Met office and in line with other LAs across Wales, the decision has been made for all schools to move to remote learning for tomorrow, Friday 18th February with no members of staff or learners expected to attend."

SCHOOLS CLOSED: Due to RED weather warning issued by MET Office for significant parts of Rhondda Cynon Taf tomorrow, all our schools will be closed in the interest of public safety, with remote learning opportunities in place. Further service updates and public advice to follow pic.twitter.com/WH9skxjocH

— RCT Council (@RCTCouncil) February 17, 2022

Ferry passengers were left terrified after storm winds caused waves to smash through the vessel's windows.

Passengers were sat in a lounge onboard the ferry in Hamburg when it crashed headlong into winds.

They can be seen desperately clutching for their bags as they scramble to leave the room which quickly floods.

There's a storm in Hamburg and some of the images are terrifying. Imagine being on this ferrypic.twitter.com/fF0iqxpyXH

— Marcel Dirsus (@marceldirsus) February 17, 2022

National Highways has issued a severe weather warning across all regions.

Bridhes, including the Humber Bridge and the QEII bridge will also be closed from 5am tomorrow morning.

In a statement, they said: "National Highways in collaboration with The Met Office have issued a severe weather alert for strong winds covering the whole of National Highways strategic road networkbetween the hours of 6am and 6pm on February, 18.

"Storm Eunice will track east-northeast across northern England on Friday, bringing a spell of exceptionally strong winds on its southern flank (central and southern England). These winds will increase quickly from the west on Friday morning, gusting 60-70mph widely and 70-80mph along coastal areas and over bridges but possibly over a few inland locations too.

"Around the Bristol Channel peak gusts could touch 90 mph (Avonmouth and Severn Bridges).

"These unusually strong winds are highly likely to cause disruption across the network with wind blown debris, potential damage to infrastructure including power failures and make for tricky driving conditions for vulnerable vehicles."

In conjunction with @metoffice/@metofficeUK we have issued a Severe Weather Alert for Strong Winds which may affect travel across ALL regions between 6am and 6pm Friday 18th Feb.

More details: https://t.co/cxhTsVAmMP

— National Highways: East (@HighwaysEAST) February 17, 2022

Train passengers have been urged to reconsider their journeys on Friday amid fears of disruption to services.

Blanket speed restrictions of 50mph have been imposed in most places, with winds forecast to reach 90mph in some areas.

Network Rail's group director Jake Kelly said: "We will be doing everything we can to keep as many services as possible running safely and reliably on Friday, but with such strong winds expected we know that disruption to passengers' journeys is inevitable.

"Please consider whether your journey is necessary on Friday, and if possible re-plan your journey for another day.",

Prince Charles’ visit to South Wales tomorrow has been postponed because of the dangers posed by the coming storm.

The future king was due to visit Newport and Swansea on Friday.

A spokesman for Clarence House said: “Following official guidance, the Prince of Wales's visit to Newport and Swansea on Friday 18th February will not go ahead due to the dangers posed by Storm Eunice.

"In the interests of public safety, these engagements will be postponed with a view to rescheduling at a future date."

All trains in Wales on Friday have been cancelled as people are warned to stay indoors.

The warning comes after Transport for Wales had earlier asked passengers to consider if journeys were essential.

They tweeted: “We're expecting #StormEunice to cause significant disruption to rail services tomorrow. This will be the largest and most impactful storm affecting Wales for many years – greater than Arwen and Barra in 2021.

"The safety of customers and colleagues is the top priority of both Transport for Wales and @NetworkRailWAL, and as a result we are asking customers not to travel on Friday 18th February.”

In Ceredigion, the county council has warned residents of the dangers posed by Storm Eunice over the coming days.

A spokesman said: “Storm Eunice is currently showing potential to be one of the most powerful storms to affect Ceredigion for a number of years and we will continue to track its path over the next 48 hours.

"People are reminded to be careful whilst travelling as the winds may result in fallen trees and debris being present on the highway, and people should stay away from exposed coastal areas as wind gusts will be very strong.

"Currently, tides are elevated and large waves are likely, and beach material is likely to be thrown onto seafronts, coastal roads and properties."

A man has died after falling from a lorry during Storm Dudley.

The man, in his sixties, plunged around 12 feet after falling from the double-decker wagon.

It is believed he was attempting to unload heavy goods in high winds when he lost his balance.

Emergency services were called to the industrial incident in Marston Green, near Solihull, West Mids, at 9pm last night.

Medics tried to revive the man at the scene but despite their efforts he was pronounced dead.

West Midlands Police today described the tragedy as an “industrial accident”.

A spokesman said: “A man in his 60s was attended to by paramedics at the scene, but was sadly pronounced dead a short time later."

Energy networks have said they are preparing for power outages caused by the storm.

The Energy Networks Association said almost all properties affected by power outages from Storm Dudley have now been reconnected.

Ross Easton, from the Association, which represents the UK's energy network operators, said: "With either a yellow, amber or red 'risk to life' warning now in force across a large part of the UK tomorrow, we are reiterating our safety advice.

"If you come across fallen power lines or damage to the electricity network, stay well clear and call 105 for free to report it. In Northern Ireland the number is 03457 643 643.

Householders in the storm's path are advised to charge up mobile phones and portable chargers, call 105 or use a mobile for updates if you have a power cut, keep a torch charged and make sure vulnerable friends, family and neighbours are prepared.

Their full warning can be viewed here

Social media users have been sharing pictures of their cars trashed by felled trees.

Elizabeth Howard tweeted a picture of a tree fallen onto her car in Ealing, West London.

A car in Derbyshire also suffered extreme damange during high winds.

School closures are being announced by some councils across the country.

Suffolk County Council released a list of schools with current planned closures for tomorrow.

Helping you plan ahead for Storm Eunice: Details of school closures in Suffolk can be found by visiting https://t.co/0Z8e5gqf0m #StormEunice #Suffolk pic.twitter.com/xOwp7FlrU1

— Suffolk CC (@suffolkcc) February 17, 2022

More information on what schools are closed across the county can be found here

Rail operator West Midlands Railway (WMR) is warning passengers not to travel tomorrow (Fri 18 Feb) due to the impact of Storm Eunice.

The warning follows delays caused to services across the West Midlands last night (Wed 16 Feb) as Storm Dudley felled trees and blew debris onto tracks. WMR is warning of similar disruption tomorrow, when blanket speed restrictions which will be in place across the network.

To help customers make alternative plans, tickets pre-booked for travel tomorrow will be accepted today (Thursday) and on Saturday instead.

Storm Eunice: @WestMidRailway issues 'do not travel' warning for Friday 18 February #StormEunice https://t.co/SWp1z81FH3 pic.twitter.com/ev7vzXIqbq

— West Midlands Railway News (@WMRailwayNews) February 17, 2022

The Cobra emergency committee will meet on Thursday "to discuss the response to Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice", the Government said.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Ellis will lead the meeting.

Liberal Democrat communities spokesman Tim Farron said government must be "on hand to provide support".

He said: "Whenever a storm hits, the Government is disgracefully unprepared to support the thousands of people affected, they never learn from their mistakes.

"This time, as people up and down the country are barraged by stormy weather, the Government must be on hand to provide support.

"The Cobra meeting must agree on an emergency support plan including providing food, emergency accommodation and electricity generators for those affected by any power cuts."

The Met Office tweeted a simulation of the precicted path and wind strength of Storm Eunice.

Looking ahead to #StormEunice on Friday, we are expecting to see even more dangerous weather conditions moving in

Here are the forecast wind gusts pic.twitter.com/n7OHiU7vLJ

— Met Office (@metoffice) February 16, 2022

The warning from the Met Office reads: "Extremely strong west to southwesterly winds will develop over southwest England and south Wales early on Friday.

"Widespread inland gusts of 70-80 mph are likely and up to around 90 mph near some coasts, with dangerous conditions on beaches and seafronts.

"Winds are expected to ease from the west during the late morning."

As well as dangerous winds, Eunice will also drag snowfall and 'blizzard-like' conditions - alongside gale-force winds - to some parts of Britain.

The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning, with Brits told to be aware of flying debris causing danger to life and power lines being torn down by 100mph winds.

The warning covers parts of the south west of England and south Wales between 7am and midday tomorrow.

#StormEunice will bring extremely strong winds across parts of Southwest England and south Wales

Friday 0700 - 1200

Latest info https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs

Advice https://t.co/JFRa8CtfWY

Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/m46eseAXoV

— Met Office (@metoffice) February 17, 2022

A plane carrying the Manchester City players touched down in Liverpool after being forced to divert during Storm Dudley.

Strong winds brought on by the storm meant the aircraft had to make a last minute change to its destination.

The plane was carrying the first team back from Lisbon following their match against Sporting on Tuesday.

Their Titan Airways flight took off from Lisbon at around 2.12pm on Wednesday afternoon, reports the Manchester Evening News.

It was supposed to land in Manchester, but was later forced to divert as Storm Dudley took hold.

Data from FlightRadar show the plane circled over Manchester three times before diverting to Liverpool John Lennon airport, 30 miles away.

Man City took to Twitter writing: "We can confirm the plane transporting the first team home from Lisbon has landed safely in Liverpool, after high winds forced a diversion from Manchester."

The NPAS tweeted footage of a its helicopter being hammered by winds mid-flight.

They tweeted: "As the weather forecast predicted, it's slighly bumpy out there tonight."

As the weather forecast predicted, it's slighly bumpy out there tonight ^SD pic.twitter.com/JQXanTdcxl

— NPAS North West Region (@NPASNorthWest) February 16, 2022

Northern Powergrid said 1,000 properties still had no lights on Thursday morning due to the weather.

They said: "Our teams have restored power to some 19,000 homes and businesses impacted by Storm Dudley, and we are working to get the lights back on for around 1,000 properties still affected."

On Wednesday evening at 9pm, around 4,000 people were thought to still be without power.

About 14,000 customers were originally affected by the weather but 10,000 had been reconnected.

#StormDudley #NE48 #Kielder #FoodVan #TeamPowergrid pic.twitter.com/07zSULbcbq

— Northern Powergrid (@Northpowergrid) February 17, 2022

National Rail said as of 7am on Thursday, dozens of train companies have been affected in the north of England, the Midlands, Wales and across most of Scotland, including LNER, Transport for Wales and ScotRail.

It added that due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Bedford and St Albans, some lines are currently blocked on the East Midlands Railway and Thameslink lines.

An RNLI lifeboat was seen battling against storm winds and waves as it took part in a training exercise.

The RNLI tweeted footage of the boat being hammered on surface, warning people to respect the water and stay away from the coast.

They said: "A clip of @Fowey_RNLI lifeboat tackling the tough weather during a training exercise on Sunday. With #StormDudley arriving and #StormEunice close behind, we urge people not to take unnecessary risks around the coast and #RespectTheWater.

"Check weather, tide and swell forecasts before you consider heading to the coast stay well back from stormy seas and breaking waves.

"In a coastal emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. If you end up unexpectedly in the water, stay calm and #FloatToLive."

A clip of @Fowey_RNLI lifeboat tackling the tough weather during a training exercise on Sunday. With #StormDudley arriving and #StormEunice close behind, we urge people not to take unnecessary risks around the coast and #RespectTheWater. pic.twitter.com/4z6ZNQDO6c

— RNLI (@RNLI) February 16, 2022

Agencies are warning peopple to stay away fron the seafront as Storm Eunice approaches.

Wales is one area expected to see the worst of the extreme weather.

Natrual Resources Wales said the coast was likely to see "significant impact" when Eunice hit.

They tweeted: "We're monitoring things very closely, but we're concerned that we're likely to see significant #flood impacts along the Welsh coast tomorrow.

We're out checking defences to reduce the risk to people and property."

You can check the latest warnings for Wales here

#StormEunice

We're monitoring things very closely, but we're concerned that we're likely to see significant #flood impacts along the Welsh coast tomorrow.

We're out checking defences to reduce the risk to people and property.

Check flood warnings https://t.co/ubevawrJ9q pic.twitter.com/tnXQKvMMhx

— Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru | Natural Resources Wales (@NatResWales) February 17, 2022

Meteorologist Scott Duncan warned the storm is "not your usual wind storm" and is "really concerning".

It comes as the Met Office has issued an Amber weather warning for wind across much of the UK.

The warning is in place from 3am until 9pm on Friday.

The warning states: "Storm Eunice may cause significant disruption due to extremely strong winds on Friday.

The Met Office also issued a "danger to life" warning of 'flying debris', 'damage to buildings and homes' and 'power lined brought down'.

There is also a "good chance" of disruption to travel, large waves and power cuts.

The train line between Manchester Airport and Wilmslow is currently blocked due to a fallen down tree on the line.

The Northern service between both stations has been suspended.

Manchester Old Road in Middleton is also partially blocked due to a fallen down tree, near the North Manchester Golf Club.

An alert on the National Rail website urged commuters to check before they travel.

Though weather conditions are expected to improve today, another named storm, Storm Eunice, is set to bring even stronger winds tomorrow with potentially some heavy snow.

Due to damage to the overhead electric wires between Wilmslow and Manchester Airport the line is blocked.

Services running to and from these stations will be cancelled. Disruption is expected until 08:30 17/02.

https://t.co/Ew48K9tFUE#NorthernUpdates

— Northern (@northernassist) February 17, 2022