At least three people killed by Storm Eunice in UK as 200,000 left without power
At least two people have been killed by Storm Eunice in the UK.
One of them was a woman in her 30s, who was hit by a falling tree in north London while she was a passenger in a car.
She was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver, a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.
A man in his 50s died in Netherton, Merseyside, after debris struck the windscreen of a vehicle he was travelling in, according to Merseyside Police
A 79-year-old Englishman has also been killed in Ypres, Belgium, after he was blown from his boat into the water, according to local media.
In Ireland, a council worker aged in his 60s died in County Wexford after he was hit by a falling tree.
It comes as at least 200,000 homes have been left without power amid record-breaking winds brought by Storm Eunice, which struck the UK and Ireland.
Millions of people were told stay indoors on Friday due to concerns about the weather.
A Met Office amber warning for wind – meaning there is a potential danger to life – remains in place until 9pm across the Midlands, southern England, and Wales, while yellow warnings for snow are in effect in Scotland and Northern Ireland until 6pm.
Latest updates as Storm Eunice sweeps UK
Here are some of the other key developments so far:
The storm’s impact is also likely to stretch beyond Friday, with further disruption to travel and more weather warnings issued for Saturday.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said 200,000 homes are still without power, while electricity has been restored to an additional 250,000 households.
Many of those affected are in the South West of England.
Three people were taken to hospital after a collision between a car and a fallen tree in Farleigh Wick, Wiltshire.
One of those hurt was struck by flying debris from a roof in Henley-on-Thames, while another was hit by falling masonry in southeast London at noon.
Check the weather forecast in your area
Meanwhile, the London Fire Brigade declared a “major incident” due to the volume of 999 calls over Storm Eunice, while the South Central Ambulance Service announced a critical incident over soaring demand for its services.
The London Ambulance Service said it was “responding to a high volume of calls”, and asked people to only call in the event of a serious medical emergency.
Major travel disruption
The Port of Dover has reopened to shipping and some ferry services after closing earlier on Friday, while P&O Ferries said it would resume its sailings between Dover and Calais this evening.
The M4 Prince of Wales Bridge has reopened but the M48 Severn Bridge crossing remains closed.
Transport for London Rail suspended all of its services as train operators across Britain urged passengers to avoid travelling on Friday.
There were no trains operating in Wales either, while dozens of flights were cancelled and hundreds were delayed across UK airports.
Emergency 50mph speed limits were in place in many areas.
A list of the main closures due to Storm Eunice
Gust of 122mph sets new record in England
A new record was provisionally set for England as a wind gust of 122mph was registered at the Needles on the Isle of Wight.
The previous record for a low-level location in England had been 118mph at Gwennap Head in Cornwall on 15 December 1979.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to chair a COBRA emergency committee meeting to discuss the response to the storm.
Thousands of families saw their half-term plans disrupted as major attractions including the London Eye, Legoland and Chessington World of Adventures were shut on Friday.
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”.
There is also a warning of ice for most of Scotland, the North of England and Northern Ireland.
