Chester Zoo closes due to Storm Éowyn 'severe weather warning'
Chester Zoo has been forced to close for the day due to a 'severe weather warning' as Storm Éowyn is set to hit the region. A post on the zoo's social media accounts stated that the attraction will be closed tomorrow, Friday, January 24, due to the high winds.
The post said: "We’re so sorry to announce that due to the severe weather warning, and high winds forecast throughout the day tomorrow with the arrival of #StormEowyn, the zoo will be closed on Friday, January 24. If you have tickets to visit the zoo, please check your emails for a message from us - it contains everything you need to know.
"We really do apologise for any disruption to your plans - but ensuring the safety of our visitors, staff and animals is our absolute priority at times like these. It goes without saying that our dedicated animal care teams will continue to keep a close eye on all the animals during these challenging weather conditions, to ensure they are safely tucked up in their dens.
READ MORE: Met Office issues third weather warning as Storm Eowyn to hit Merseyside
"Thankfully, it’s forecast to be much calmer from the weekend onwards and so we hope to be open again from Saturday morning (please check our website and social media channels for updates). Thank you for your understanding... and please stay safe and warm!"
A tornado warning has been issued ahead of Storm Éowyn which is set to batter UK coasts with 100mph winds this weekend. A rare red warning covers Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland and all of England is covered by a yellow or amber wind warning tomorrow (Friday).
The red alert covers all of Northern Ireland from 7am on Friday until 2pm and parts of Scotland from 10am to 5pm. The Met Office warns of "very dangerous conditions" and "widespread disruption".
The red weather warning is the Met Office's most serious weather warning and will likely cause "substantial disruption to travel, energy supplies and possibly widespread damage to property and infrastructure". The weather agency say changing conditions would likely trigger an explosive cyclogenesis, known as a weather bomb with strong winds, rain, snow and gusts of up to 90mph expected tomorrow.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “We reserve the issuing of Red Warnings for the most severe weather which represents a likely danger to life and severe disruption, and that is the case with Storm Éowyn.
“While it will be widely very windy on Friday, with additional hazards from rain and snow, the strongest winds and most significant impacts are likely in Northern Ireland and central and southwestern parts of Scotland within the Red Warning areas, where winds could gust 80-90 mph quite widely for a time, and potentially up to 100 mph for exposed coasts in particular.”
The European Storm Forecast Experiment published a map putting southern England under a level 2 tornado warning for severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible. They said: “a strong event cannot be ruled out” and there is a "risk of a few tornados" between 6am on Thursday and 6am on Friday.
The European Storm Forecast Experiment published a map putting southern England under a level 2 tornado warning for severe wind gusts with a few tornado events possible. They said: “a strong event cannot be ruled out” and there is a "risk of a few tornados" between 6am on Thursday and 6am on Friday.
Storm Éowyn, pronounced ‘Ay-oh-win’, will begin to influence the UK’s weather early on Friday, with strengthening winds initially in southwestern parts of the UK with accompanying heavy rainfall. This will quickly spread northeast to the rest of the UK during Friday morning.
The Met Office warn: "Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued." The Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather in your area.
Travel conditions are likely to be severely disrupted in the coming days. Mark Nash, Duty Manager at National Highways, said: “We are expecting high winds and rain to hit most parts of the country later this week. If you're planning to drive over the next few days, prepare in advance for the journey and take extra care on the roads."
Earlier today the ECHO reported that Chester Zoo is set to host the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, showcasing 100 previously unseen images that capture nature from all around the world. The exhibition will run at the zoo every day between Monday, February 17 until Sunday, April 6 and is free for all zoo visitors.
It's the first time ever that the exhibition will be showcased in Cheshire, with the striking photographs curated and on loan from London’s Natural History Museum. Conservationists say the photographs "encourage us all to help wildlife thrive long into the future".
The exhibition will display a breathtaking collection of 100 previously unseen images that capture the extraordinary beauty, complexity and fragility of nature around the world. Celebrating its 60th year, visitors to the zoo will have the unique opportunity to explore the wildlife photography, using soundscapes and videos surrounding the physical images to tell the stories of how the photographs were captured.