Storm Eunice tore down rooftops and trees, crushed cars and sent planes skidding on London’s runways as millions of people across the United Kingdom hunkered down at home to stay out of hurricane-strength winds.
The UK Met Office expanded its rare “danger-to-life” weather alert on Friday morning to include most of the south of England and some of Wales, before Eunice picked up speed with winds as high as 122 miles per hours (mph), the fastest on record in England. High wind speeds is what make wind storms intense.
Footage shared to social media showed the roof of London’s O2 arena severely damaged by strong wind.
Large sections of the fabric roof were shredded and ripped off by the gusts, while the building was evacuated and closed.
On its website, the 02 said an event at the venue Friday night would be rescheduled.
“The safety of our visitors remains of paramount importance, and we will continue to assess the ongoing situation and act accordingly,” the statement said.
Elsewhere, a CNN reporter witnessed part of a rooftop flying off a home in the southwestern London area of Surbiton. The roof crushed a car parked on the street.