Major attractions, parks, and schools across Britain have announced they are shutting tomorrow in response to weather warnings about the incoming Storm Eunice which forecasters say could be the worst in 32 years.
The Army has been put on standby and the Government is holding an emergency Cobra meeting after the Met Office issued a rare ‘red warning’ but only for people in the South West where winds are forecast to hit 100mph and residents are being told to ‘stay indoors as much as possible’ amid ‘flying debris resulting in danger to life.
In the South of England, an amber warning has been issued for slightly less severe winds although these could still gust at 80mph. This amber warning also covers the Midlands and much of northern England as well as Wales.
However, major attractions well within the amber zone such as Kew Gardens, the London Eye, and Legoland Windsor all announced they will shut down because of the high winds – along with others such as Chessington World of Adventures and West Midlands Safari Park. Meteorologists in the UK have issued a rare danger-to-life alert from this storm according to CNN.
The warnings come as thousands of people remain without power in the UK’s north after Storm Dudley brought down trees and cut households from the grid. Dudley hit England’s north, Scotland’s south, and Northern Ireland on Wednesday, disrupting railways, roads, and businesses with high winds and local flooding.
Peter Inness, a meteorologist at England’s University of Reading, said that the back-to-back storms had formed as a result of a strong 200 mph jet steam blowing across the Atlantic Ocean. It is not unusual to see “two or more damaging storms” form in quick succession, he said in a statement.
But what makes Eunice potentially “rare” and more potent is that it could evolve into a “sting jet” — a “narrow, focused region of extremely strong winds” amid a “larger area of strong winds.” The Met Office is urging people to only travel if “necessary” and warned drivers that road closures could be in place on Friday. People across the UK should also secure outdoor furniture and bins, and should avoid parking near trees.
