Met Office issues danger to life warning as storms continue to batter North West

The North West continues to be battered by strong winds today as Storm Dudley causes havoc across the country – with a second storm set to hit this weekend.

As it currently stands, there are five Met Office weather warnings in place for this week, with Storm Dudley – the fourth named storm of the winter – bringing dangerously strong winds.

Then on Friday Storm Eunice is set to continue the bad weather, with a severe wind warning covering 90% of the UK, including the North West.

Photos from Salford last night show the damage already caused, with a car completely crushed by a pile of bricks blown off from a nearby house – luckily no one was hurt.

And in Eccles, emergency services were called to one street after winds blew a roof off a house.

Forecasters are saying Storm Eunice – which hits tomorrow – could be one of the worst storms to hit the UK in 30 years, since a storm on Burns Day in 1990 which brought wind speeds of 107mph in Aberporth, Wales.

Read More: Chill Factore forced to close after section of roof damaged by Storm Barra

Met Office forecaster Becky Mitchell told The Mirror: “With the wind gusts we are forecasting at the moment, we’ve only seen a handful of storms in the past 30 years that have brought similar gusts. It’s got the potential to be up there as quite a notable storm.

“Winds are likely to be 60 to 70mph inland across the south of the UK. It’s quite unusual, we don’t see gusts that high over such a wide area in the south. The Burns Day Storm brought similar gusts.”

Ben Sutherland / Flickr

And amber danger to life warnings have been issued for most of the UK, with storms Eunice and Dudley bringing 100mph winds and people urged to stay indoors.

What to expect, via the Met Office:

• There is a good chance that flying debris could result in a danger to life
• Damage to buildings and homes is likely, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
• Roads, bridges and railway lines are likely to close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
• There is a good chance that power cuts, possibly prolonged, could occur and possibly affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• Large waves are likely and beach material is likely to be thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
• It is likely there will be falling branches and some uprooted trees
  

The forecast also predicts significant snowfall from the Midlands northwards and in North Wales, with an amber warning for wind between Blackpool and the south coast in place between 3am and 9pm on Friday.