A London woman was among at least four killed by Storm Eunice as severe winds wreaked havoc across the UK and further afield on Friday.
The woman in her 30s died after a tree fell on a car in Muswell Hill Road, Highgate, shortly after 4pm in England’s first confirmed fatality from the storm.
The driver - a man in his 30s - has been taken to hospital but his condition is not believed to be life-threatening.
It comes as the UK began counting the cost of Friday’s storm, which brought damage and major disruption to travel as record-breaking gusts of up to 122mph were recorded.
The storm ripped large parts of the London O2 Arena’s roof off as trees came down on pavements, roads and railway lines across the capital.
Millions of people were urged to stay at home due to safety fears over the impact of Eunice, one of the worst storms to hit the UK in a generation.
Breaking: A woman in her 30s has died in north London during Storm Eunice. A tree collapsed from Highgate Woods and hit a car on Muswell Hill Road. Police said the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Full story to follow. pic.twitter.com/XXAn8IVv66
— LondonWorld (@LondonWorldCom) February 18, 2022
Both of the Met Office’s ultra-rare “red” weather warnings over the impact of extremely strong winds have now elapsed, but Eunice’s impact was expected to continue.
A member of the public suffered “serious injuries” after being struck by debris from a roof in Henley-on-Thames.
Two men were also in hospital after being injured in similar, separate incidents in south London.
Pictures taken at the scene of the Highgate death showed a large fallen tree blocking the road, with a crowd gathered around.
Officers believe they know the woman’s identity and her family have been informed. They will be supported by specialist officers.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “I’d like to pay tribute to all those in the emergency services who have been working tirelessly to keep us safe and urge all Londoners to remain cautious and avoid taking risks as this storm passes.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the woman who tragically lost her life and the man who was seriously injured in Highgate this afternoon.”
Peray Ahmet, leader of Haringey Council, said he was “deeply saddened” by the news.
“On behalf of everyone at Haringey Council I express my deepest sympathies to her family at this incredibly difficult time, he said.
“Our teams are working tirelessly to clear fallen trees and debris and to secure any structures that pose a risk to the public.
“I urge all residents to follow official advice and be alert to the dangers that come with the extreme weather that continues to affect the borough.”
It came just hours after a man in Co Wexford, Ireland, was also killed by a falling tree.
He was later confirmed to be a worker at Wexford County Council who had been attending the scene of a fallen tree in the North Wexford area.
Elsewhere in England, a man in his 50s was killed in Netherton, Merseyside after debris struck the windscreen of a car he was travelling in.
Also a man in his 20s died in Alton, Hampshire after a car collided with a tree, police said.
Hampshire Constabulary were called to a collision involving a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter pick-up and a tree in Old Odiham Road at 11.49am.
In a statement, Hampshire Constabulary added: “Two men, in their 20s, were in the vehicle. Sadly the passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver has been taken to Southampton General Hospital with serious injuries.
“The next of kin for both men have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. Officers are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident.”
#StormEunice is clearing away from the UK but strong gusts and dangerous conditions will still persist over the coming hours
— Met Office (@metoffice) February 18, 2022
Wind warnings are still in force through this evening so stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/iCTix8KlUw
The storm also caused havoc across other parts of northern Europe.
In the Belgian city of Ypres, a 79-year-old British man died after he fell from his boat at a marina on a waterway, local media reported.
And falling trees killed three people in the Netherlands as he storm damaged buildings and blowing off parts of the roof at the stadium of soccer club ADO Den Haag, authorities said.
Two people were killed by falling trees in Amsterdam, and a third in the nearby Diemen area, the city’s fire department said.
A fourth died after colliding into a fallen tree, in Adorp in Groningen.
The man was taken to hospital but later died of his injuries.
The scale of insurance losses caused by damage to homes, commercial properties and vehicles could reach £350million, PwC UK said on Friday night.
Police forces and local authorities across the country reported being inundated with phone calls related to the storm, with East Sussex County Council receiving 97 fallen tree reports by 4pm.
London Fire Brigade declared a major incident over the volume of 999 calls it was receiving, which throughout the day totalled more than 1,400.
Winds of 122mph have been provisionally recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight, which, if verified, would be the highest ever recorded in England.
The previous record was 118mph at Gwennap Head in Cornwall in 1979.
Around 20 per cent of flights into and out of Heathrow were cancelled, while London City Airport also saw major disruption with flights cancelled throughout the afternoon.
Seven rail operators cancelled train services as fallen trees blocked every line in south-east London.
