Storm Eunice warning for Kent

A red wind warning will be in force from 10am to 3pm on 18 February as Storm Eunice sweeps in from the Atlantic and powers across the southern half of the UK.

Local residents and people needing to travel in or through Kent on Friday should plan for significant disruption due to extremely strong winds.

The Met Office is forecasting there is a good chance flying debris could pose a danger to life and inland gusts of 60-70mph, potentially 80mph at times, are likely to damage buildings and bring down power lines. It means power cuts and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, could be affected.

Roads, bridges and railway lines are likely to close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights. It is likely there will be falling branches and some uprooted trees.

National Highways, in collaboration with the Met Office, has issued a severe weather alert for strong winds covering several areas, including the South East, between 6am and 6pm on Friday. It means high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes could be blown over on specific stretches of road including, in Kent, the:

• A2 Jubilee Way close to Dover
• M2 J2-J3 Medway Viaduct
• A249 Kings Ferry / Sheppey Crossing, and
• A282 QE2 Bridge / Dartford Bridge

Southeastern trains will be operating a reduced timetable and enforcing a 50mph speed restriction across most of its network on Friday.

With coastal and exposed areas set to see the strongest Eunice winds, potentially over 80-90mph on the Kent coast, the Environment Agency is also warning that large waves are likely and beach material could be thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.  

With most COVID travel restrictions lifted, and more families on the move during the half-term break, Kent County Council Senior Highways Manager Toby Howe said it was important people keep in touch with traffic, travel and weather updates to ensure they stay safe.

Toby Howe said: “Storm Eunice will likely bring significant disruption due to extremely high winds as it tracks across the south of the country from the early hours of Friday.

“It means driving conditions in Kent will likely be dangerous at times, especially for high-sided vehicles, and some road, bridge and railway line closures may be necessary. It is also not a day for wave watching and storm selfies at the beach.

“When the Met Office names a storm we all need to take notice and follow simple steps to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe and not put others, including emergency services, unnecessarily at risk.”

Steps you can take to stay safe in a storm include:

• KEEPING UP TO DATE with the latest weather forecast and weather warnings – by visiting the Met Office website or following the Met Office’s social media channels, including on Twitter via @metoffice, @metofficeSEEng and @metofficeUK. The key hashtags to follow are #weatherready #weatherwarnings and #StormEunice. You can also follow the Met Office on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok
• FOLLOWING THE MET OFFICE’S SEASONAL ADVICE – read ‘How to stay safe in a storm’
• FOLLOWING NATIONAL HIGHWAYS’ ADVICE – on carrying out vehicle checks and travelling in high winds
• CHECKING your route #EverySingleJourney if your trip is essential – for where to go for the latest traffic and travel updates in Kent visit Kent County Council’s Travel & Transport page
• ALLOWING extra time if you must travel to get to your destination and preparing your car by packing essentials and checking tyres, lights, fuel and water – because driving conditions in storms can be difficult and possibly dangerous; you may experience delays and should take steps to avoid your vehicle unavoidably breaking down.

Listen to the Met Office’s latest podcast about this week’s storms, including Storm Eunice

Travel

• NATIONAL HIGHWAYS – in collaboration with the Met Office, has issued a severe weather alert for strong winds covering several areas, including the South East, between 6am and 6pm on Friday. It means high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes could be blown over on specific stretches of road including, in Kent, the: A2 Jubilee Way close to Dover; M2 J2-J3 Medway Viaduct; A249 Kings Ferry / Sheppey Crossing, and A282 QE2 Bridge / Dartford Bridge. The QE2 Bridge will be closed at 5am on Friday and contraflowing south-bound traffic via the East Tunnel. Emergency National Highways road traffic crews will be on site and, once the winds have cleared and safety checks have been completed, will re-open the bridge as soon as they can.
• KCC HIGHWAYS – extra crews and tree surgeons are on stand-by to close and clear roads of fallen trees and debris as quickly as possible. To report any emergency issues, including fallen trees in the road, to KCC Highways call 03000 418181, between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, or on 03000 419191 at all other times. SOUTHEASTERN trains – will be operating a reduced timetable and enforcing a 50mph speed restriction across most of its network on Friday.  
• CROSS-CHANNEL ROUTES – anyone booked to travel to and from France via Port of Dover or Eurotunnel on Friday should keep in touch with their operator. Full contact details are here: Eurotunnel; P&O Ferries and DFDS. Freight drivers heading to cross-channel ports should check with their operators and follow instructions from overhead signs on the motorway.

Power

Anyone experiencing a power cut should:

• Visit UK Power Networks and type in their postcode to view our live power cut map, with details of individual power cuts
• Call 105 free of charge to speak to our customer service team, report a power cut or damage to the electricity network
• Tweet @UKPowerNetworks or check the UK Power Networks website to report a power cut and to receive updates

Batten down the hatches at home

• Look out for elderly and vulnerable neighbours, particularly if there are power losses where you live, and
• Lock shed doors and secure garden furniture, trampolines, wheelie bins and other outdoor items that could blow away in strong winds.

Businesses

• Secure any street furniture like tables, chairs, and
• Secure or bring signage at the front of premises inside so it doesn’t pose a risk to others.

Article courtesy of Kent County Council