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Storm Eunice

Storm Eunice is expected to hit West Berkshire this evening and tomorrow morning with significant disruption due to extremely strong winds.

The Met Office has issued an Amber weather warning from 5am to 9pm tomorrow with gusts up to 80mph expected. This could cause disruption to travel, fallen trees as well as the possibility of power cuts and damage to homes and other buildings.

To help keep yourselves and others safe, please consider the following advice from the Met Office:

Before the storm

• Secure loose objects such as ladders, garden furniture or anything else that could be blown into windows and other glazing and break them
• Close and securely fasten doors and windows, particularly those on the windward side of the house, and especially large doors such as those on garages
• Park vehicles in a garage, if available; otherwise keep them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences
• Close and secure loft trapdoors with bolts, particularly if roof pitch is less than 30°
• If the house is fitted with storm shutters over the windows then ensure that these are closed and fastened
• If chimney stacks are tall and in poor condition, move beds away from areas directly below them

During the storm

• Stay indoors as much as possible
• If you do go out, try not to walk or shelter close to buildings and trees
• Keep away from the sheltered side of boundary walls and fences - if these structures fail, they will collapse on this side
• Do not go outside to repair damage while the storm is in progress
• If possible, enter and leave your house through doors in the sheltered side, closing them behind you
• Open internal doors only as needed, and close them behind you
• Take care when driving on exposed routes such as bridges, or high open roads, delay your journey or find alternative routes if possible
• Slow down and be aware of side winds, particular care should be taken if you are towing or are a high sided vehicle
• Do not drive unless your journey is really necessary

After the storm

• Be careful not to touch any electrical/telephone cables that have been blown down or are still hanging
• Do not walk too close to walls, buildings and trees as they could have been weakened
• Make sure that any vulnerable neighbours or relatives are safe and help them make arrangements for any repairs

Need Help? 

• If you spot a tree down or another obstruction on a road, or if there is something else we need to fix, tidy or replace after the storm you can tell us using our Report A Problem page.
• You can call us on 01635 551111 - we're open 8.30am to 4.30pm on Friday. 
• You can contact us out of office hours for emergencies - such as fallen trees or other potential dangers to road users, significant flooding or broken traffic lights. Find out more about our out-of-office emergency arrangements.

• For the latest weather forecast, please see the Met Office.