Millions of people have been told to stay at home as Storm Eunice brings disruption and record gusts to the UK. Today high winds have brought power cuts, flights cancellations, with hundreds of schools closures, and the Met. issuing a blanket travel warnings across the country.

On the Isle of Wight, a gust of 122mph, measured at an exposed point on the west of the island, set a provisional record for England.

The London Ambulance Service said two people had been taken to hospital after being hit by debris in separate incidents in Streatham and Waterloo. A number of train lines have been blocked by fallen trees and other debris, and rail companies are urging customers not to travel. In many parts of the UK, the storm has caused fallen trees blocking multiple train lines and roads in the South West.

Hundreds of school closures in much of Wales and affected areas of England, including in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Bristol
The UK’s last red warning was for Storm Arwen in November last year, but before that one had not been issued since the so-called “Beast from the East” in 2018.

In London, the London O2 Arena was ripped open by Storm Eunice as 1,000 people evacuated Sections of London’s O2 Arena were completely shredded and sent flying by severe winds from Storm Eunice this morning. London Fire Brigade said firefighters had been called to a “partial roof collapse” at the venue.