Yahoo News Storm Eunice: O2 arena roof ‘shredded’ open as powerful winds batter Britain
One person has been killed and a handful of others injured as Storm Eunice brought damage, disruption and potentially record-breaking gusts of wind to the UK and Ireland.
Millions of people were urged to stay at home on Friday due to safety fears over the impact of Eunice, one of the worst storms to hit the UK in a generation, while transport woes meant many were unable to travel.
Gusts reaching 122mph - the highest ever recorded in England - hit some areas. One of the most dramatic moments saw with powerful winds ripping through the roof of the O2 arena in London.
Videos and pictures posted to social media showed the iconic part of the London skyline flapping open in the wind, with witnesses claiming it was "shredded" open by the powerful gusts.
Station Commander Chris Kamara, who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters cordoned off the area to ensure no one was injured by any further falling debris.
“There has been no actual collapse or structural damage to the building, but due to the nature of the canvas material which covers The O2, it has come loose in high winds and looks quite dramatic.
“Crews have made the scene safe and The O2 is now closed until further notice.”
Mala Sharma said “more and more parts are getting ripped off”, adding, “it’s going to be a safety issue for people around”.
She said that it happened “right in front of my eyes” and that the damage “started off with a patch” but then a “chunk” of the dome roof ripped off.
Elsewhere
One man was killed in Ireland after being hit by falling tree
Two men also in hospital after being injured in similar, separate incidents in south London
Gusts of up to 122mph have been recorded in England - the highest on record
Around 190,000 customers were without power as of lunchtime, with the vast majority of them in the south west of England.
The transport network was severely impacted, with several routes were closed.
Wind speeds forced both the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and M48 Severn Bridge into Wales to close to traffic for what is believed to be the first time in history,
The Humber Bridge linking Yorkshire and Lincolnshire closed from 1.30pm.
P&O Ferries has suspended all sailings between Dover and Calais.
Royal Mail said it “had no choice” but to suspend deliveries in parts of the country due to safety concerns.
Read more: Storm Eunice red weather warning - What is it and which areas are affected?
Despite the chaos, emergency services were forced to issue warnings for people to stay away from the worst-affected areas.
Roy Stokes, from the Environment Agency, said it was “probably the most stupid thing you can do” to travel to the most exposed places, amid reports of people climbing on to seawalls and swimming in the sea.
Nevertheless, the Environment Agency said Eunice had “not resulted in the significant impact initially forecast”.
The Met Office has issued a less-severe yellow wind warning for much of the south coast of England and South Wales on Saturday, which it said “could hamper recovery efforts from Storm Eunice”.
