Fatalities reported as Storm Eunice batters British Isles

LONDON 

Four people were killed Friday in the UK and Ireland as record winds and rain from Storm Eunice battered the British Isles and parts of Western Europe. 

A woman died in London after a tree fell on her car. In Hampshire, a man was killed after his truck collided with a fallen tree. And a middle-aged man in northeast England died from flying debris.

In Ireland, a 60-year-old man was killed by a falling tree in County Wexford where he was reportedly working.

Several injuries have also been caused by flying debris and damaged infrastructure, including collapsing roofs and falling walls.

Eunice, which followed Storm Dudley, hit the UK early Friday and has been described by the Meteorological Office as the UK’s worst storm in decades.

Wind speeds of up to 122 miles per hour were recorded on the southern island of Isles of White, according to the Met Office. Prior, the strongest recorded wind was recorded in 1979.

“The Needles on the Isle of Wight recorded a wind gust of 122 mph this morning. This is provisionally the highest gust ever recorded in England,” it said on Twitter.

The chaotic weather caused mass disruptions across the British Isles as well as in many countries in Western Europe including Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium where four other people have been killed.

Millions across the UK were warned by the government and the Met Office to stay indoors. More than 400,000 homes have faced power cuts due to voracious winds and rain.

There has been widespread disruption to travel services within the country with a number of train services to different cities canceled, leaving many travelers stranded.

Flights to and from the UK were canceled and airlines across England and Wales were forced to cancel landings or divert routes elsewhere. Public events and sports events were also canceled.

In London, the Millennium Dome of the famous O2 Arena was heavily damaged as violent winds destroyed parts of the canvas roof. Several people in the building were injured.

The government held an emergency meeting to discuss potential contingency measures should the storm worsen and cause additional damage.