O2 Arena Has Been Devastated By Storm Eunice

The roof of the O2 arena in London has been torn apart by Storm Eunice.

Storm Eunice, which has seen a 'danger to life' warning issued by the Met Office, has caused the 02 arena's roof to rip open.

Yesterday, Thursday, February 17, a separate red weather warning was issued for the southwest of the country, covering the areas of Greater London, Kent, Surrey, Essex and East Sussex.

Footage of the sport, music and entertainment venue, which is located in Greenwich, London, has since been circulating online leaving the internet astounded by the sheer strength of the storm's winds, which have been howling across the country reaching more than 90mph in some locations.

Videos posted to Twitter capture the O2's roof splitting open and blowing away as a result of the strong winds. One video from above the building shows the dome having been 'shredded' apart.

One user described the footage as 'unbelievable scenes', and another wrote, 'The real question is will the O2 arena have any roof left by the end of today?'

Joe Gilmore, who was in a building nearby when the roof started to give way, reported that part of the dome even ended up in the River Thames.

Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, stated,'After the impacts from Storm Dudley for many on Wednesday, Storm Eunice will bring damaging gusts in what could be one of the most impactful storms to affect southern and central parts of the UK for a few years. The red warning areas indicate a significant danger to life as extremely strong winds provide the potential for damage to structures and flying debris.'

Storm Eunice is expect to rage until 9pm today, February 18, with people having been encouraged to stay indoors between 10am and 3pm to shield themselves from the winds, which could reach 80mph or even above 90mph in coastal areas.

Travel is also anticipated as being affected, with the National Highways having issued a severe warning between 6am and 6pm. Those travelling by caravan or motorbike have been warned to avoid viaducts and bridges.

Members of the public have subsequently been advised by the Met Office to 'follow guidance from the local authorities and stay up to date with the forecast'.

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Topics: Weather

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.