Met Office issues red warning for strong winds from Storm Eunice

The Met Office issued a red warning for strong winds from Storm Eunice, the Environment Agency said on 17 February 2022, as it urged communities in the Severn and Wye estuaries to prepare for flooding from a forecast tidal surge on Friday 18 February¹. The Agency issued 9 Severe Flood Warnings along the Severn and Wye, covering the risk of flooding from Avonmouth and up the Severn into Gloucestershire and along the Wye from Chepstow to Monmouth, and said a further 20 Flood Warnings were in place¹. Severe Flood Warnings indicate that there is a risk to life¹.

The Agency said the tidal surge was expected on Friday morning, with potential for high water levels between 7:30 and 11:30am, and that there was potential for record water levels along the Severn and Wye estuary¹. Flooding was possible from Sharpness and up the River Severn into Gloucestershire and along the Wye to Chepstow¹. Flood barriers were deployed further up the region in Shrewsbury, Frankwell and Beales Corner in Bewdley, and officers were ready to deploy barriers at Ironbridge if needed¹.

Kay Champion, Area Incident Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

Warnings and local effects reported by public bodies:

Suffolk County Council said a major incident was declared in Suffolk on the morning of 18 February following an assessment by partners in the Suffolk Resilience Forum, including councils, health bodies, utility companies and the emergency services, formalising joint working and resource sharing³. More than 100 schools were closed and students moved to online learning, libraries and Family Hubs were closed, and some waste collections were affected; the Orwell Bridge was closed in both directions and rail networks ran a reduced service³. The council said the major incident was stood down on 21 February, with Suffolk highways having responded to over 195 road related issues, mainly fallen trees, around 52 of them outstanding, and UK Power Networks working to restore power to around 9,000 customers in Suffolk⁵.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said it had sent "warn and inform" texts to over 300,000 of its Priority Service Register customers in central southern England, and that the register is open to customers who are deaf or hard of hearing, have a disability, live with children under five, are blind or partially sighted, have a chronic illness, use medical equipment reliant on electricity, are over 60, or are categorised at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus⁴. The Independent reported that Storm Dudley left 14,000 homes in the North East of England without power, with reported winds of up to 81mph⁶.

Why it matters for households

The red warning area indicated a significant danger to life, with extremely strong winds providing the potential for damage to structures and flying debris, and strong winds could also bring coastal flooding, according to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service². The wider amber warning area highlighted the ongoing risk of disruption to power, travel and other services, with damage likely to buildings and trees². The fire service advised people to avoid travelling during the storm and to stay at home unless they really need to travel, and said that if a journey is essential it should be planned in advance with extra time allowed². It advised people to secure garden furniture, trampolines and plant pots, and to check for anything outside that could cause damage in the wind, such as loose guttering or fences².

On power, the fire service said the Electricity Distribution Network Operator is responsible for maintaining physical electricity supplies, and that the local operator can be contacted by calling 105². It advised charging torches, phones and laptops in advance, using torches and battery powered candles rather than candles, not cooking on barbecues or indoor fires such as wood burners, turning off appliances that may be a fire risk when power returns, and keeping portable heaters at least 1 metre from people and furniture². SSEN asked customers to save the number 105 to report power cuts or damage to the electricity network, and to keep a safe distance from damaged equipment⁷.

On flooding, the Environment Agency's "Prepare, Act, Survive" guidance, as set out in its warning, includes preparing a bag with medical and insurance documents, knowing how to turn off gas, electricity and water, checking insurance cover for flood damage, and calling 999 if in immediate danger and following advice from emergency services¹. The Agency urged people to stay away from the coast during the storm, warned wave watchers against the danger of taking "storm selfies", and asked people to avoid low lying roads and footpaths during the high water period¹. The fire service said that if a vehicle encounters flood water it should not be driven through, as just 30cm of water is enough to float a car, and that it cannot rescue vehicles driven through floodwater and stuck unless there is life risk². Flood risk can be checked and free flood warnings signed up for at gov.uk, or by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188¹.

What happens next

The Environment Agency said its incident response staff were checking defences and that it was working closely with partners, and it asked people to sign up to Flood Warnings and to follow guidance from emergency services¹. In Suffolk, agencies continued clearing roads of trees, reconnecting people to power and ensuring residents were safe and looked after after the major incident was stood down, and people were encouraged to take extra care when out and about⁵. The county asked those travelling to plan ahead and check road closures, to report fallen trees and obstructions to Suffolk Highways on 0345 606 6171, and to avoid coastal areas because of an increased risk of erosion posing danger to life⁵.

The Met Office's warning levels, and what yellow, amber and red mean, are set out in the guide to Met Office weather warnings, and households can read how to sign up for Met Office weather alerts. Practical steps for preparing your home and garden for high winds and for driving safely in strong winds are covered separately, alongside guidance on coastal flooding, tidal surges and erosion, flood alerts, flood warnings and severe flood warnings and a checklist when a flood warning is issued.