DLarge swathes of the UK, including London, are placed on maximum weather alert on Friday and the military is ready to be deployed to deal with Storm Eunice which has started to batter the country, with extreme winds.
Many flights have been canceled at airports in the capital. Millions of Britons have been called to stay at home by the Met Office, the British meteorological service, which on Thursday issued a red alert – the highest level – over the south-west of England and the south of the Wales.
Rarely, the Met Office issued a second maximum alert on Friday morning, this time concerning the south-east of the country, including the capital London for the first time since the alert system was put into effect in 2011.
Secretary of State for Security Damian Hinds called on Britons to “take precautions and stay safe” as wind gusts might reach 145 km/h on the coasts and up to 130 km/h in the lands.
“There is a danger of life during this kind of big weather event,” he said on Sky News channel, stressing that the army was ready to be deployed to face the storm which might be l one of the most important of the last three decades.
An interministerial crisis meeting is scheduled for Friday followingnoon.
The UK Environment Agency has also warned that major flooding might occur and most schools in the south west of the country are closed on Friday.
British Airways has canceled “a number of flights” and rail companies have called on their users “not to travel”, warning that disruptions might be announced at the last minute.
The UK motorway network has also reported a “particularly high risk” of accidents. In Wales, all buses and trains are at a standstill.
More than 55,000 homes were without electricity on Friday morning in neighboring Ireland, where all schools will remain closed for the day, according to public media RTE.
Another storm, Dudley, caused less severe disruption in Scotland and northern England on Wednesday, leaving thousands of homes without power.
18/02/2022 10:30:27 – London (AFP) – © 2022 AFP
