Storm Eunice’s Record-Breaking Winds Damaging England’s Infrastructure

Photo Courtesy MGN

By Hannah Rose Shemtov

With winds at 122 miles per hour, UK residents were encouraged to stay at home and cancel their travel plans. There were power outages in parts of London and southern England, along with numerous police reports of flying debris and fallen trees. A CNN reporter witnessed a rooftop crashing into a car. Eunice winds in Ireland even killed a 60-year-old man after being hit by a tree. 

The strong gusts of wind tore off the fabric roof of London’s 02 arena, leading to an evacuation and closure of the venue on Friday. A statement on the arena’s website said, “the safety of our visitors remains of paramount importance, and we will continue to assess the ongoing situation and act accordingly.”

Videos posted on social media display waves rising above the seawall at Sennen beach in Cornwall. Numerous flights were canceled as 200,000 people watched a Youtube live stream of airplanes wobbling in mid-air and skidding on the runway at London’s Heathrow Airport. British Airways said that it plans to deploy a larger and stronger aircraft to fight the weather while also prioritizing the safety of its passengers. 

Rail companies imposed speed restrictions and warned customers to reschedule travel due to the debris blocking the railway lines.