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 Millions of people have been told to stay at home as one of the worst storms in decades, Storm Eunice, hits the UK

High winds have led to power cuts, flights cancelled, hundreds of schools shut, and a number of major bridges around the country closed.

The Met Office has issued red weather warnings - meaning there is a danger to life - covering much of southern and eastern England and south Wales.

One gust of 122mph on the Isle of Wight set an interi record in England.

The gust was measured at The Needles, an exposed point at the western extremity of the island.It is the second storm in a week for the UK after Storm Dudley battered parts of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, leaving thousands of homes without power.

Red weather warnings are rare, and mean that roofs could be blown off, power lines brought down and trees uprooted - as well as flying debris which could cause a danger to life.This is the first red warning to be issued for either London or south-east England since the system was introduced in 2008.

High winds have led to:

Hundreds of school closures in much of Wales and affected areas of England, including in Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Bristol

The closure of the two Severn bridges between England and Wales, the Britannia Bridge between Anglesey and mainland Wales, the A14 Orwell Bridge in Suffolk, and the QEII Bridge in Dartford

The Humber Bridge, near Hull, has also had to close for only the fourth time in 40 years

More than 200 delays or cancellations of flights into Heathrow and Gatwick

Train cancellations and speed limits imposed on much of the network

Fallen trees blocking multiple train lines and roads

The UK's last red warning was for Storm Arwen in November last year, but before that one had not been issued since the so-called "Beast from the East" in 2018.

The Met Office said people should avoid travelling if they could and stay at home when winds reach the highest speeds.

In London, the South Eastern Main Line announced the closure of its whole network, and pictures showed a major tear to the roof of the Millennium Dome.