Storm Eunice: Sussex and Brighton among worst affected areas

Millions of people were urged to stay at home for the day due to safety fears over the impact of Eunice, one of the worst storms to hit the country in a generation.

The death of a man in County Wexford was confirmed by police in Ireland, while a member of the public is in hospital with serious injuries after being struck by falling debris from a roof in Henley-on-Thames, Thames Valley Police said.

Brighton Palace Pier was forced to close

Three more people have also been killed, with several others injured due to potentially record-breaking gusts of wind to the UK and Ireland.

Sussex was one of the worst affected areas of the country with the Met Office issuing a rare red weather warning for the county.

• READ MORE: Storm Eunice: £30,000 worth of damage caused to The Gingerman in Brighton

Homes were left without power, while flights and trains were cancelled and suspended. Schools and businesses, including visitor attractions such as Brighton Palace Pier and the i360, shut because of the storm.

There were high tides on Brighton seafront

Brighton and Hove City Council warned people to stay away from the seafront because there were fears flying pebbles could cause injuries.

Record-breaking gusts of more than 120mph were recorded in the most exposed areas of the country.

• READ MORE: Storm Eunice: Pictures show Brighton seafront battered by strong winds and rain

Winds of 122mph were recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight, which could be the highest ever recorded in England.

The roof of the London O2 Arena was torn by the storm

Across the UK, but particularly in the worst-affected areas, people were asked to stay at home.

Train operators across Britain, including Southern Rail, urged passengers to avoid travelling as emergency 50mph speed limits were put in place. In Wales, no trains operated for the entire day.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We should all follow the advice and take precautions to keep safe.”

Amid the chaos – with powerful gusts felling trees, tossing debris in the air and damaging homes and buildings including London’s O2 Arena – emergency services were forced to issue warnings for people to stay away from the worst-affected areas.

Roy Stokes, of the Environment Agency, said it was “probably the most stupid thing you can do” to travel to the most exposed places, amid reports of some people climbing on sea walls and swimming in the sea.

While forecasters confirmed the worst is behind us, further disruption to travel is expected.

The Met Office issued a less severe yellow wind warning for much of the South Coast and Sussex today which it said “could hamper recovery efforts from Storm Eunice”.

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