M4 bridge and M48 Severn Bridge both shut for 'the first time' due to Storm Eunice's wind speeds

Both the M4 Prince of Wales bridge and the M48 Severn Bridge have been shut this morning due to the wind speeds caused by Storm Eunice.

Highways England made the announcement on Twitter at 10.59am and said the closure of the M4 Prince of Wales bridge was necessary due to the wind speeds. The M48 Severn Bridge was already shut by 8am this morning.

The Severn Bridges wrote on Twitter: "For what we believe is the first time due to wind speeds both the #M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and #M48 Severn Bridge are closed to all traffic. Traffic Management teams are heading to site to initiate the closure of the M4. Please do not travel to the location.

Read more: Bristol weather LIVE: Storm Eunice chaos begins as 'major incident' closes schools and shops

"Given the closure of both bridges this account will not be monitored whilst we physically ensure all the required actions are undertaken. Further updates will be issued as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience and stay safe."

Bristol and the wider South West region is bracing for wind gusts of up to 90mph today as the powerful storm approaches land. Avon and Somerset has declared a "major incident" after the Met Office issued a rare red weather warning for the region, and Bristol City Council has advised schools to close tomorrow - the full list confirmed so far can be found here. Libraries, many tourist attractions and park cafes have also announced closure, and no First buses in Bristol will be running until at least 4pm.

Another weather warning for wind for the Bristol area has been issued by the Met Office for tomorrow (Saturday, February 19). People are being asked not to travel along certain stretches of the M5 motorway. Earlier today, two lanes of the M5 were shut after a lorry overturned in the middle of the night.

Also read: Exact hour Storm Eunice will end in Bristol amid red weather warning

Storm Eunice is be the fifth named storm since the end of November to have made landfall in the UK, expected to touch down in the early hours of Friday (February 18) with it some violent weather. Bristol experienced strong winds throughout Wednesday during Storm Dudley, with gusts of 56mph, which caused a hotel window to shatter to the ground in Broad Quay.

However, Storm Eunice is expected to be even stronger. Most of Bristol is covered by an amber wind warning but Avonmouth and other areas along the Severn Estuary are covered by a rare red warning, which will be in place between 7am and midday.

The Environment Agency has warned that it is expecting conditions to create "a tidal surge along north coast of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset". The Port of Bristol is making safety preparations, and a flood warning has been issued for seafront properties at Severn Beach.

Experts are now warning that a third storm could be headed our way, click here for more information.

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