Britain’s meteorological service issued its first-ever “danger to life” weather warning for London and the army was placed on standby as Storm Eunice made landfall on Friday, IgbereTV reports.
Hundreds of homes were reported to have been left without power in Cornwall, southwest England, which Eunice hit overnight, bringing gusts of 90 miles (145 kilometres) per hour.
The storm, which BBC Weather said could be one of the country’s worst in three decades, is barrelling eastwards towards London.
It has caused the Met Office to issue its first red weather warning for the capital — active between 10:00 am (1000GMT) and 3:00 pm – since the system was introduced in 2011.
The Met Office warned of “significant disruption and dangerous conditions due to extremely strong winds”, adding that roofs could be blown off, trees uprooted and power lines brought down.
Roads, bridges and railway lines have already been hit causing delays and cancellations to bus, train and ferry services
