How to be ready for a winter storm?
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(CNN) —
Millions of people in Britain were told to stay home for their own safety and dozens of flights were canceled Friday as Storm Eunice made landfall in the country with gale-force winds that tore a roof off and crushed a vehicle. in a London suburb.
The United Kingdom Meteorological Office issued a strange "risk to life" red alert on Thursday, and on Friday morning reported winds in excess of 144 kilometers per hour (km / h), in what is forecast to be the worst country's storm in three decades.
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A CNN reporter witnessed a roof detach from a house in the Surbiton area of southwest London.
The roof crushed a car parked on the street.
Video footage also shows a train power line hit by debris.
A social media video showed a lifeboat station missing part of the roof at Sennen Beach in Cornwall, where strong winds pushed waves over a sea wall.
Waves crash against the Porthcawl sea wall and lighthouse in Bridgend, Wales, as Storm Eunice hits the UK on Friday.
Authorities expect gusts causing travel delays, power outages and possible cell phone coverage outages.
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Meteorologists have also raised the possibility of the so-called "sting jet," the weather phenomenon that made the Great Storm of 1987 so destructive and deadly.
At least 18 people died in that storm and 15 million trees were blown down by winds that exceeded 160 km/h.
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A "sting jet" is a very narrow, concentrated burst of powerful upper-level winds that can form within strong weather systems.
It descends to the surface of the Earth and can last a few hours.
Which could cause damage to life and property, according to CNN Meteorologist Derek Van Dam.
"The 'sting' refers to the cloud formation it creates, which resembles a scorpion's sting," he explained.
A local butcher carries his shop sign across a snowy pavement in County Durham, Britain, after Storm Eunice made landfall.
The UK Met Office issued its rare red alert for the south west on Thursday.
And it decided to extend it early Friday to the southeast, which includes London.
CNN also noted strong winds off the south coast of England.
A red warning means there is a life-threatening threat from flying debris.
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Cabinet will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the response to Storm Eunice, a government spokesman said in a statement to CNN.
British Airways considers using larger planes in the face of Storm Eunice
Dozens of flights were canceled at major airports on Friday, including Heathrow and London City Airport.
Guide to preparing your home for winter storms 2:17
British Airways said it was grounding several planes and expected "significant disruption".
However, he added that most of the flights would continue as planned.
"Safety is our number one priority and we are canceling several flights," British Airways said in a statement.
A person walks past a sign at Waterloo Station warning of bad weather.
The airline explained that it was evaluating deploying larger planes where possible to better withstand the weather.
Rail companies have urged customers to reconsider their plans, with general speed restrictions for most lines across the country.
Network Rail warned Friday of strong winds blowing trees and other debris onto rail lines, blocking trains and causing delays and cancellations.
Eunice is the second storm to hit the UK in a week, after Storm Dudley hit parts of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland on Wednesday.
At that time, thousands of homes were left without electricity.
Service has since been restored to those locations.
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Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said in a statement that the red alert is "the most serious and strange type of warning issued by the Met Office".
"It reflects the increased confidence forecasters have closer to the event that it will be very, very windy and that people's lives are at risk unless they take action now," he said.
Other parts of the country have received lower amber alerts.
But, Cloke warned that those areas would also be affected by gusty winds.
People drive through sleet and snow along the M8 motorway near Bathgate in West Lothian as Storm Eunice slams into the UK after hitting the south coast on Friday.
Cole previously noted that people shouldn't take the red alert "lightly."
Precisely, he indicated, because the winds could "uproot trees, block roads and crush cars or buildings. They can lift roof tiles and throw them."
He added: "If you get hit by one of those, you will be seriously injured or killed. A wind that strong will sweep people and vehicles off the streets and knock down power lines."
Orange alert in northern France
France has issued an orange wind alert for five departments on its northern coast due to Storm Eunice, according to Météo France, the country's national weather service.
The departments of Pas de Calais, Seine-Maritime, Manche, Somme and Nord have been placed on "orange alert" for strong winds and possible coastal flooding.
Gusts could reach 140 km/h on the coast, according to Meteo France.
The "yellow alert" has been decreed for much of the rest of the country, including the capital, Paris, and its surroundings.
Authorities have urged residents in the orange alert zones to stay indoors and limit their movement.
French national rail company SNCF has announced the cancellation of most regional trains in the northern Hauts-de-France region from noon, while delays to high-speed trains are expected.
Alerts for Eunice in the Netherlands and Belgium
Most of the Netherlands is under high weather alert and citizens are advised to stay indoors ahead of Storm Eunice, which is currently hitting the UK.
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) expects "very strong wind gusts of 100-120 km/h this afternoon and evening, at the coast up to 130 km/h".
It warns that "major damage and very dangerous situations" are expected from falling trees and flying objects.
Storm Eunice is expected to hit the country late this Friday.
Meanwhile, Belgium issued wind alerts for some western and coastal parts of the country on Friday due to Storm Eunice, according to the website of the Royal Belgian Meteorological Institute.
The institute issued an "orange" wind watch for the provinces of Hainaut, West Flanders, East Flanders and Antwerp, and a "yellow" wind watch for the rest of the country.
Gusts could reach 140 km/h off the Belgian coast, according to the Royal Meteorological Institute.
Belgian rail operator NMBS/SNCB announced Friday that it is suspending all trains in East Flanders and most trains in West Flanders between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time (8aET-12pET) due to the storm.
There will be no rail services on Friday between Belgium and the Netherlands and speed restrictions have been put in place for trains between Belgium and France, according to an NMBS/SNCB statement.
In Brussels, parks and cemeteries will be closed from Friday at 10 a.m. local time (4aET) until Monday morning, according to the local government.
They will reopen on Monday weather conditions permitting.
James Frater, Xiaofei Xu, and Anaëlle Jonah contributed to this report.
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