Eunice, a storm that has torn off at least one roof and left tens of thousands without power in the U.K., has brought a rare red weather warning from The Meteorological Office.
While other warnings issued by the office – yellow and amber – are used for a variety of weather conditions, according to a warning impact matrix, specific conditions call for a red warning.
“Dangerous weather is expected and, if you haven’t already done so, you should take action now to keep yourself and others safe from the impact of the severe weather,” said a description of the red weather warning from the office. “It is very likely that there will be a risk to life, with substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure. You should avoid travelling, where possible, and follow the advice of the emergency services and local authorities.”
The Met Office issued its rare red weather warning for Eunice early Friday, as the storm is expected to cause disruption in the U.K.
throughout the day. Wind gusts over 90 mph were expected to hit some areas.
Storm Arwen in November 2021 resulted in the last red warning from The Met Office, over a year after the previous warning in March 2018. This new warning comes just after the U.K. was hit by storm Dudley Wednesday afternoon.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters before the storm hit that the army was on standby to help people impacted by the storm, according The Washington Post. Hundreds of schools and businesses across the U.K. also planned to close due to Eunice.
Ireland was hit by the storm first, and tens of thousands there were left without power. By the time it hit Britain, record-breaking winds were strong enough to tear open the roof of London’s O2 arena.
“Unfortunately, like many others, we have been hard hit by today’s storm,” said a tweet from the arena. “There’s damage to the tent fabric in our roof and the O2 will sadly remain closed for the rest of the day.”
Winds also made it difficult for pilots to land at Heathrow Airport. The Post said thousands of people watched videos of shaky planes near the airport on YouTube.
British officials recommended that people stay home as the storm blew through.
Later Friday, the warning was reduced to amber. Yellow warnings are expected to be in place through Monday.
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