Storm Eunice rips apart The O2: Large panels fly off iconic arena as wind speeds hit 122MPH - the strongest EVER recorded in England - leaving tens of thousands of homes without power and sparking chaos on roads, railways and at airports
The roof of The O2 was partially ripped off by Storm Eunice today as lorries were blown over and trees were felled after England was hit by the strongest winds on record while millions of Britons were urged to stay at home.
The top speed of 122mph at Needles on the Isle of Wight today is provisionally the highest gust ever in England and means Storm Eunice is now worse than the 1987 Great Storm when gusts peaked at 115mph in West Sussex.
Today's warnings run from 7am until 12pm in the South West and 10am to 3pm in the South East with forecasters concerned over 'flying debris resulting in danger to life' as well as 'roofs blown off and power lines brought down'.
Hundreds of schools were closed, all trains in Wales were suspended and rail passengers across England were told not to travel amid mass cancellations as the Army was on standby for what could be the worst storm since 1990.
Large parts of the white covering on The O2 in London's Greenwich could be seen flapping in the strong winds today. Witness Mala Sharma said 'more and more parts are getting ripped off', adding 'it's going to be a safety issue for people around'. Ms Sharma said it happened 'right in front of my eyes' and that the damage 'started off with a patch' but then a 'chunk' of the roof on the building, formerly known as the Millennium Dome, ripped off.
Two lorries were blown over on the M4 in South Wales and shocking footage filmed in Bude, Cornwall, showed the storm taking down a huge tree which crashed onto a park. There was also major disruption at London's airports.
British Airways cancelled more than 130 flights at London Heathrow and City airports, motorists were warned only to make essential journeys and major attractions closed including the London Eye, Kew Gardens and Legoland.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said at least 436 flights to, from or within the UK were cancelled today. The highest proportion was at Heathrow, where 20 per cent of flights were cancelled - followed by London City (16 per cent).
Network Rail said all of London's main train stations will likely temporarily suspend all services for a few hours this afternoon, with Waterloo having already stopped all services due to the large number of trees on the tracks.
Rail operators including c2c in Essex and Southeastern in Kent cancelled all services, the M4 and M48 Severn crossings were both closed and Royal Mail suspended deliveries and closed delivery offices in all red areas. The M2 Medway Bridge in Kent was closed in both directions between Rochester and Maidstone due to strong winds.
Meanwhile more than 200,000 people tuned in to a YouTube channel livestreaming aircraft attempting to land at London Heathrow Airport. Big Jet TV captured the moment many of the jets made multiple attempts to land. One plane from Chicago had three tries before going to Geneva. And a British Airways service from Edinburgh to Heathrow got all the way to London before turning back and returning to Scotland. Also today a TAP Air Portugal flight from Athens was filmed making contact with the runway before the pilot lost his nerve and taking off again.
Passengers on easyJet flight EJU8014 from Bordeaux to London Gatwick endured two aborted landings before the plane was put in a holding pattern over the south coast and then forced to return to the French city. At Gatwick there were 15 cancellations and 67 delayed flights. British Airways, which said it was suffering from 'significant disruption, said the rate of aircraft permitted to land at Heathrow was 'being reduced due to gale force winds'.
Some 50,000 homes in the South West were without power, while parks across London were closed and taped off - and police were seen ordering a dog walker to leave Primrose Hill in the capital immediately. The man involved, film producer David Broder, 57, told MailOnline: 'I saw two police vehicles and then was approached by a police officer who came running towards me shouting, 'Get out the park now', which I thought, 'he's a bit over excited'.
'The police officer then informed me that the park is now closed and I have to leave. I thought I'll get into the park, obviously 10am is the time (the red warning begins), my dog walker's cancelled today, so I thought I'll just do a quick half an hour as I do most days anyway.' When asked whether he saw anyone else being told to leave, he said: 'Yes. This was ridiculous, as I just wanted to take my dog out for half an hour or so before the storm sets in.'
All outpatient appointments were cancelled at Royal Cornwall Hospital today 'to keep people safe'. In addition, Universities, National Trust sites and other tourist venues including Kensington Palace also shut today, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'Please stay at home, do not take risks and do not travel unless absolutely essential.'
Transport for London part-suspended train services on five Underground lines, the Docklands Light Railway and Overground. It urged people to avoid non-essential travel, while the Environment Agency told Britons to avoid travelling to the coast for dramatic photographs - saying it was 'probably the most stupid thing you can do'.
The Government's Cobra civil contingencies committee will meet this afternoon to discuss the response to the storm for the second time in two days, with the meeting again chaired by Cabinet Office minister Michael Ellis.
Network Rail urged customers to avoid travelling, with many services either cancelled or delayed, and trains running at 50mph due to the increased risk of having to brake for debris on the track. Major roads including the A66 cross-Pennine route and the M8 between Edinburgh and Glasgow were partially closed due to high winds.
The Met Office issued the first red warning for the South West at 11am yesterday, 20 hours in advance, before issuing the second for the South East at 4am today - just six hours before the 'extremely strong winds' begin.
The South West warning covers coastline of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset as well as South Wales due to the combination of high tides, strong winds and storm surge - while the second is over most of South East England.
One dramatic video showed pilots battling to land in extreme crosswinds at Birmingham Airport this morning, with a Vueling plane from Paris violently rocking from side to side as it approached the runway in 60mph winds.
Top wind speeds could hit 100mph with the strongest gusts expected in exposed coastal areas, while a lesser amber warning for gusts up to 80mph covers the whole of England until 9pm tonight having started at 5am.
The Met Office had warned that the phenomenon known as a 'sting jet' - a small area of highly intense wind inside a storm - could form, similar to the 1987 Great Storm. However forecasters later said this would not be the case.
Forecasters today urged Britons to work from home in the worst affected areas – with the centre of the storm expected to be up the Bristol Channel and around the narrowing of the River Severn in Gloucestershire.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted today: 'The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for much of the UK. We should all follow the advice and take precautions to keep safe. I thank responders for all their efforts.'
Meanwhile in a string of weather-related developments:
- Most schools across the worst hit regions in the South West and Wales announced they will shut today;
- Major UK attractions including Windsor Castle, London Zoo and Chessington World of Adventures closed;
- Windsor Great Park, Richmond, Bushy and Greenwich Parks in London all said they would shut to the public;
- Network Rail warned disruption was 'inevitable' with airports advising people to check flights with airlines;
- People were urged not to take dangerous 'storm selfies' with huge waves expected along the south coast;
- The Environment Agency issued 10 severe flood warnings, 31 normal flood warnings and 102 flood alerts;
- In some areas, refuse collections were cancelled and residents warned to 'tie down' bins in the back garden;
- Pet owners were warned to take extra precautions to keep their animals safe during the storm.
The O2, which was previously known as the Millennium Dome, in London was damaged by Storm Eunice this morning
The O2 in Greenwich, South East London, had a series of roof panels ripped off by Storm Eunice this morning
Damage to the roof of the O2 Arena - known as the Millennium Dome when it opened in 2000 - in South East London today
Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse and the harbour wall in East Sussex this morning as Storm Eunice hits Britain
Waves hit Porthleven on the Cornish coast this morning as Storm Eunice makes landfall in the South West
Two large trees come down in high winds at Spencer Park in Battersea, South West London, today
Waves crash against the harbour wall at Porthcawl in South Wales this morning as Storm Eunice sweeps into BritainShocking footage filmed in Bude, Cornwall, showed the storm taking down a huge tree which crashed onto a park
The fallen tree in Bude, Cornwall, is pictured this morning after it was felled by very strong winds from Storm Eunice
Huge waves strike the seafront at Caswell Bay in Swansea, South Wales, this morning, which is in the red warning area
A jacknifed lorry on the southbound carriageway of the A90 south of Forfar in Angus, Scotland, this morning
People walk at the sea front during Storm Eunice in Brighton, East Sussex, this afternoon
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