BRITS are still being warned not to travel today as fallen trees and debris from killer Storm Eunice continue to cause chaos. Another “do not travel” notice has been issued across a swathe of rail networks this morning after Eunice sparked widespread travel disruption on Friday. Millions of people were urged to stay at home […]
BRITS are still being warned not to travel today as fallen trees and debris from killer Storm Eunice continue to cause chaos.
Another “do not travel” notice has been issued across a swathe of rail networks this morning after Eunice sparked widespread travel disruption on Friday.
Millions of people were urged to stay at home yesterday as one of the worst storms in a generation slammed into the UK and brought record-breaking 122mph gusts of wind.
The treacherous conditions led to travel turmoil, flight cancellations, power cuts and police forces being inundated with calls.
Train networks were plagued by flying debris – and there was extensive damage to buildings and homes.
Transport woes meant many Brits were unable to travel – and National Rail said “routes across most of Great Britain” still remain affected this morning.
Many routes are not expected not to reopen until at least this afternoon as the massive clean-up effort begins.
Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern networks have all reissued “do not travel” notices on Saturday morning.
South Western Railway expects significant disruption across their network this morning, while Great Western Railway and Greater Anglia services were suspended until 10am.
South Western Railway said the strong winds had caused more than 40 fallen trees to block routes across its network – with work ongoing to clear them.
The operator said on Saturday: “While we are working hard to run as many services as we safely can, we strongly advise you not to travel on our network until further notice.
“Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that we’re able to get you to where you need to be, as replacement services will not be available on certain routes.”
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And as Brits face fresh yellow wind and ice warnings over the weekend, the Met Office warns there is a small chance of more cancellations and travel chaos.
Eight inches of snow, freezing ice and 80mph gales are set to follow in the storm’s wake.
The Met Office has issued a yellow wind warning for much of the south coast of England and South Wales on Saturday.
And a new yellow warning for ice is also in place across the vast majority of Scotland and down into England.
The Met Office warned the fresh wave of strong winds and icy conditions “could hamper recovery efforts from Storm Eunice”.
Storm Eunice swept across the UK on Friday after the Met Office issued a rare “danger to life” red warning – leading to the deaths of at least four people.
The previous record was 118mph at Gwennap Head in Cornwall in 1979.
Footage captured planes struggling to land in high winds, damage to the roof of the O2 arena in London, and the spire of St Thomas Church in Wells, Somerset, crashing to the ground.
Winds of 122mph have been provisionally recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight – the highest ever recorded in England.
Airports cancelled hundreds of flights, with aviation analytics firm Cirium estimating more than 400 services were axed – just as the half-term break begins.
The Port of Dover temporarily shut during the worst of the weather.
In Croydon, astonishing footage shows pedestrians being knocked off their feet.
Part of the roof at the O2 in London was also ripped away, with staff warning the venue could be shut for months.
London Fire Brigade declared a major incident after a surge of 999 calls – with 550 recorded between 10.30am and 1pm, more than the average number usually taken over 24 hours.
Police forces and local authorities also reported being inundated with phone calls related to the storm, with East Sussex County Council receiving 97 fallen tree reports by 4pm.
On the transport network, several routes were closed.
Wind speeds forced both the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge and M48 Severn Bridge into Wales to close to traffic, while the Humber Bridge linking Yorkshire and Lincolnshire closed from 1.30pm.
The A6 in Buxton was also closed on Friday afternoon after a lorry blew over, causing minor injuries.
Train operators across Britain urged passengers to avoid travelling altogether on Friday – with no services operating in Wales for the entire day and seven train operators suspending all routes.
Passengers are still being asked to avoid travelling where possible.
A massive clean-up is set to begin today as homeowners face massive costs to replace blown down fences and toppled walls – and insurance companies brace for a huge spike in payouts.
