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The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for the south east coast today signalling 'danger to life' as people are urged by transport operators not to travel unless they absolutely have to.
Winds are already high in the South East as they build up to gusts of 80mph expected at around lunchtime today.
By midday, Worthing and Eastbourne will be experiencing gusts of 70mph, while Brighton has a forecast of 80mph. Lewes forecasts inland gusts of up to 79mph.
LIVE UPDATES:
- East Sussex Highways: 1.30pm - TREE DOWN: Lewes Road, Laughton west of Roebuck Inn
- East Sussex Highways: 1.25pm - TREE DOWN: Alfriston Road, Seaford near Hillside Avenue junction
- East Sussex Highways: 12.55pm - TREE DOWN: Plumpton Lane, Plumpton near Half Moon Inn
12.51pm Tweet from More Radio
@moresussex reporting a loss of power due to #StormEunice pic.twitter.com/QVlU3P268R
— Nick Packham (@RadioNickIntl) February 18, 2022
- East Sussex Highways: 12.34pm - A22 Uckfield Bypass between Horsted roundabout and Uckfield roundabout is closed due to a fallen tree. Police are on site and we are keeping the road closed so that other trees can be safely removed.
12pm Tweet from Lewes Police:
#StormEunice is in full swing with multiple reports of trees down across the district. The #C7 is blocked at various points. Please avoid.
— Lewes Police (@Lewes_Police) February 18, 2022
Conditions are very dangerous. Please use common sense and avoid #travel unless absolutely necessary. #CK159 pic.twitter.com/jjMeBpWVu9
- Tangmere - road is now clear 12pm
- Large tree down in Tangmere Road, Chichester 11.05am
Photo by Chichester Police
- 11.05am: Some Hastings properties experiencing power cuts. UK Power Networks have been informed.
- 10.45am: Some properties in Sussex now affected by power cuts. So far some properties are affected in Forest Row near East Grinstead and Ashington.
- 10.45am:
There is currently a coast road closure due to #StormEunice. This means we're having a diversion on our #BH12, #BH27 and #BH14. Please check our website for all up to date details. You can view our website here 👉https://t.co/kbli7V49sP
— B&H Buses (@BrightonHoveBus) February 18, 2022
- 10.20am: East Sussex County Council - all covid testing sites closed today
- Undercliff Walk between Brighton Marina and Rottingdean closed today, will reopen tomorrow.
The National Environment Agency and Highways England are advising extreme caution to anyone travelling by road, rail or foot today.
10.02am:
There are flood warnings & alerts along the south coast. #StormEunice is causing disruption with dangerously strong winds.#Staysafe & follow the advice of emergency services.
— Environment AgencySE (@EnvAgencySE) February 18, 2022
If you live by the coast, check your flood risk now - https://t.co/6pNHD8K3Jj#PrepareActSurvive pic.twitter.com/Sg9I1N4ZfO
Tweeted at 10.07am:
For fallen down trees, telephone lines, loss of power:
School Closures:
Schools and colleges in West Sussex will be closed today, including:
Durrington High School, Worthing, Steyning Grammar School, Tunbridge House School, St Nicholas and St Mary CE Primary School, Shoreham, Millais Secondary School, Horsham, The Forest School, Horsham, The Bohunt School, Horsham, The Weald Community School,Billingshurst, Downlands Community School, Hassocks Oatlands Community College, Haywards Heath, Upper Beeding Primary School, Hazelwick School, Crawley, Ifield Community School, Crawley, Sackville School, East Grinstead, St Paul’s Catholic College, Burgess Hill, St Peter’ CE Primary School, Ardingly, Bishop Luffa School, Chichester, Rumboldswhyke School, Chichester, Swift Gardens Primary, Shoreham, Box Grove CE, Chichester, St Mary’s CE Primary School, Climping, Lyminster Primary, Littlehampton, Worthing College, Worthing, Haywards Heath College, Haywards Heath, Crawley College, Crawley, St Paul’s Catholice College, Burgess Hill, University of Sussex campus, Brighton.
- 8.06am: "Do not travel on Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern services today."
Southern and Thameslink railways are urging people not to travel - extensive changes to rail services, with delays and cancellations at short notice as obstructions expected on the lines. Trains that run will be traveling no faster than 50mph. Tickets bought for today can be used tomorrow.
⚠️⛈ Storm Eunice is expected to cause severe travel disruption across our network today.
— Southern (@SouthernRailUK) February 18, 2022
⛔️ Please do not travel. We cannot guarantee that you'll be able to complete your journey.
ℹ️👇https://t.co/8dPpkyF05c
Southern services on the "East Coastway" route between Brighton / Lewes and Ore
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Fewer trains will run between Brighton and Lewes
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Trains which usually run between London and Ore will only run between London Bridge and Eastbourne
Southern services on the "West Coastway" route via Worthing and Barnham
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There will be fewer trains on this route, with no direct trains between Brighton and Southampton Central
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No trains will run between Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour for most of the day, and some other Portsmouth services will terminate at Horsham, Chichester or Havant and start back from there.
- National Highways has stated: "There is a particularly high risk that high-sided vehicles and other 'vulnerable' vehicles such as caravans and motorbikes could be blown over on certain roads, especially the A27 Shoreham Flyover.
In conjunction with @metoffice/@metofficeUK we have issued a Severe Weather Red Alert for Strong Winds which will affect travel across the East and South East of England between 10:00 and 15:00 today. For further info please see: https://t.co/znksmkfA4k. pic.twitter.com/1YtCfLAJUX
— National Highways: South-East (@HighwaysSEAST) February 18, 2022
Waste collection:
- 7.30am: Lewes District Council, Eastbourne, Chichester and Arun have suspended all waste collections today.
Due to the severe weather warnings issued by @metoffice we have taken the difficult decision to suspend waste collections today.
— LewesDistrictCouncil (@LewesDC) February 18, 2022
We understand this is not convenient for residents, but we must prioritise the safety of our staff above all else.https://t.co/OBourJaiHp pic.twitter.com/HiQvYIyT3d
- 7.30am: East Sussex County Council has tweeted to advise residents that all East Sussex libraries will be closed today.
- They're also asking people to stay clear of the beach and coastline today.
- 8.30am: East Sussex County Council: All waste collections suspended today. Household waste recycling sites also closed.
- 8.30am: Crawley, Wealden and Mid Sussex District Councils say waste collections will attempt to continue as normal:
Storm Eunice & Waste Collections for Friday 18th February – Update 08.00 pic.twitter.com/nrvAglQ3nd
— Wealden District Council (@wealdendistrict) February 18, 2022
- 9.35am: Household waste recycling sites closed today in Brighton and Hove
- 10am: Household waste recycling sites closed today in Rother
- 10.10am: Household waste recycling sites closed today in Burgess Hill and East Grinstead
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Attractions closure information, locally and courtesy of SKY NEWS:
- The Novium Museum, Chichester closed
- 8.25am: West Sussex libraries closed today
- Hastings Museum and Art Gallery closed
- 8am: The Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne closed
- 9am: All Brighton museums closed
- 10.30am: Worthing theatres and museums all closed today
- Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton, closed
- BA i360, Brighton (8.20am) closed
- The Prince of Wales has cancelled a planned visit to Newport and Swansea.
- The Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, west London and Wakehurst, West Sussex, will be shut
- Chester Zoo and Legoland in Windsor will be shut and anyone who was due to visit will be contacted to rebook
- Windsor Great Park, Richmond, Bushy and Greenwich Parks, and National Trust sites including Polesden Lacey in Surrey will all be closed. Other royal parks will be open but playgrounds will be shut
- The London Eye and River Cruise will also be temporarily shutting
- Cardiff Crown Court and Newport Crown Court will also be closed
- Warwick Castle will be closed due to the "high likelihood" of travel disruption and the "vast coverage" of trees throughout the attraction
- Hampshire County Council has confirmed the closure of all the council-run country parks
- Blickling Estate in Norfolk will be closed on Friday and Saturday.
- Many National Trust properties and gardens will be closed. These include Stowe Gardens and New Inn in Buckinghamshire, Winkworth Arboretum in Surrey, Petworth House and Gardens in West Sussex, Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, Sheffield Park and Garden in Uckfield, Standen House and Garden in East Grinstead, and Basildon Park in Berkshire
- Marwell Zoo near Winchester and Monkey World in Dorset will be shut
- Piers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will be closed tomorrow, but the Twin Sails and Poole Bridge will operate a revised lifting schedule. Refuse, recycling and cleansing collections will be suspended, as well as recycling centres
- Chessington World of Adventures, Newquay Zoo, The National Holocaust Centre and Museum and The Royal Mint Experience will all be closed
- Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire has closed and anyone who had a ticket will receive a full refund. The park hopes to reopen on Saturday, weather permitting
- Officials from Hampstead Heath in London announced several local attractions will be closed, including the Lido, Bathing Ponds, Golders Hill Park, the Hill Garden and Pergola, Highgate Wood, Keats House and playgrounds
Check here for more updates