Storm Eunice wreaks havoc across London causing damage to buildings and endangering lives.

Storm Eunice struck London on Friday the 18th with 80mph wind closing schools, train lines and tourist attractions. The storm forced multiple attractions including Kew Gardens, The London Eye, London Zoo, Chessington theme park and the River Cruise to close.

The O2 in London was particularly damaged with large parts of its white coverings being ripped off due to the strong winds. Up to 1000 people were instructed to evacuate and the fire brigade were called as a precaution.

So far, storm Eunice has claimed four people’s lives across the UK, with one of the deaths being in North London. The third victim was a woman in her 30s who died when a tree hit the car, she was a passenger in. The incident occurred around 4pm on Muswell Hill Road in Haringey. The driver, a man also in his 30s, was taken to hospital it has been clarified that the man’s condition is not life threatening.  

On Friday, the Met Office for London and the South East declared a red weather warning. This was rare, especially for London as the red weather warning means that there is a “danger to life”. The red warning was in place until 3pm on Friday and this was followed by an amber warming which was in place until 9pm. The amber warning suggests that winds are still strong enough to cause a danger of lives being lost.  In response, Londoners were advised to stay at home due to the winds. The transport for London warned passengers “not to travel” unless it was necessary as the storm lead to disruptions on the tube lines. As well as disruptions to the tubes, train lines have also been affected with southeastern services from Kent to London being cancelled. For motorists, a speed limit of 50mph was put in place. Storm Eunice led to large disruptions to fights for London city airport as all fights were cancelled.

On Thursday evening the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan announced that the homeless will be offered emergency shelters which are warm and safe. This is part of the London severe weather emergency protocol, which typically comes into place during freezing weather. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning which means there is a risk of heavy rain and winds.