Sections of London’s O2 Arena were “completely shredded” and sent flying by severe winds from Storm Eunice on Friday morning.
About 1,000 people were evacuated from the venue and tourist destination, although no injured have been reported.
Dramatic video showed the dome’s flat fabric panels flying in the wind over the River Thames towards Canary Wharf.
London Fire Brigade said firefighters had been called to a “partial roof collapse” at the venue.
Station Commander Chris Kamara, who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters cordoned off the area to ensure no one was injured by any further falling debris.
“There has been no actual collapse or structural damage to the building, but due to the nature of the canvas material which covers The O2, it has come loose in high winds and looks quite dramatic.
Crews have made the scene safe and The O2 is now closed until further notice.”
Tom Henry, 24, was working as a civil engineer consultant from his flat overlooking the O2 told the Standard the hole was getting worse as the wind ripped through the arena.
He said: “My flat is pointed right at it and it just caught my eye this black image flapping, I thought what is that?
“It’s shocking at first, you can start to see it go.”
Huge hole now, hope no one was due to have a gig tonight 😅 #StormEunice pic.twitter.com/KUF8pfaR7W
— Tom Henry (@TomHenry19) February 18, 2022
He added: “I just thought ‘Oh my god it is going to completely rip apart’.
“It’s still going now, the hole is getting bigger.
“I went for a closer look and you could hear the wind whirring through it was being amplified.
“You can see the artwork in the bars on the inside and the catwalk but luckily no-one’s injured.
“There are no emergency services or anyone trying to repair it, it’s probably too risky.
“All these things are probably going to increase with climate change. There were loads of people who came to see taking videos and making calls.”
Witness Mala Sharma told the PA news agency that “more and more parts are getting ripped off”.
She added: “It’s going to be a safety issue for people around”.
The witness said it happened “right in front of my eyes” and the damage “started off with a patch” but then a “chunk” of the dome roof ripped off.
Many people rushed to social media to share footage of the O2 being battered by the storm on Twitter.
Among them, a man - who has been staying in the Intercontinental Hotel overlooking the damaged section - said it was getting worse with every minute.
This seems not good...pic.twitter.com/XPDH8jjq7j
— Jake Kanter (@Jake_Kanter) February 18, 2022
He said on Twitter: “The panels are being completely shredded. I’m not sure there is anything that can be done - it’s just serious damage.
“It doesn’t seem to be slowing down it’s pretty tragic.”
A Fugees reunion gig scheduled to be held at the venue tonight has been cancelled.
An O2 spokesman said: “Due to today’s adverse weather conditions, we can confirm that there has been some damage caused to the tent fabric in our roof at The O2.
“The affected areas have been cleared and The O2 will remain closed for the rest of the day. The safety of our visitors remains of paramount importance, and we will continue to assess the ongoing situation and act accordingly.”
Several of London’s biggest tourist attractions have shut in the wake of the extreme weather conditions and the capital has been hit by a whole host of cancellations.
The London Eye and the Royal Botanic Gardens have closed as a precaution.
It comes as the Mayor of London has urged people to “stay at home” and “do not take risks” as 70mph gusts hit the capital.
Sadiq Khan also told Londoners to not travel “unless absolutely essential”.
A red alert warning - meaning there is risk to life - was issued for London just before 4am and will run until 3pm on Friday over fears of the storm “causing significant disruption and dangerous conditions due to extremely strong winds”, the Met Office said.
