First time ever London has been under a red alert for wind from the Met Office, reports James Cracknell

*The red warning area for high winds between 10am and 3pm on Friday*

Enfield, London and most of the south-east of England has been placed under a red weather warning for extreme winds for the first-time ever by the Met Office.

Storm Eunice is hitting England and Wales today (Friday), arriving from the west and tracking in a north-east direction.

It means there is a danger to life from flying debris and people are advised to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. The warning is in place from 10am until 3pm, with wind gusts of up to 80mph possible.

The highest gust of the day so far has been recorded in Swansea, at 87mph.

The Met Office red warning reads: “Extremely strong west to south-westerly winds will develop mid-morning on Friday, transferring eastwards across southern and southeast England through the middle of the day then slowly easing from the west during the afternoon.

“Gusts of 60-70 mph are likely widely, perhaps briefly 80 mph in a few places, mainly on English Channel coasts.”

What to expect:

Flying debris resulting in danger to life
Damage to buildings and homes, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
Roads, bridges and railway lines closed, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
Power cuts affecting other services, such as mobile phone coverage
Large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and homes

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