BRAVING THE GALES
Hardy revellers hit the town despite Storm Eunice’s fierce 122mph winds and sub-zero temperatures
STORM Eunice wrought devastation across the UK yesterday - but it hasn't stopped die-hard party-goers from making the most of their weekend.
Trees were torn down and roofs ripped from buildings as record 122mph gales lashed the country during the worst winter tempest in a generation.
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However, as the strongest winds finally died away, Brits dressed up for a night on the town on Friday.
Temperatures plummeted and snow was expected in parts of Yorkshire.
Despite that, students from Leeds left their coats at home for a night on the town.
Four friends were spotted wearing cutaway dresses and miniskirts, despite the February chill.
A girl in a tiny white sundress made one small concession for the weather, carrying a black umbrella along for the evening.
The city's nightspots are welcoming clubbers, with Pryzm, Mint and The Warehouse all set to open soon.
In Birmingham, a group of eight friends grappled with a broken green umbrella as they made their way to bars in Broad Street.
And on Saturday, brave revellers hit the town for a fancy dress pub crawl in Otley near Leeds despite the heavy snow.
It comes as:
- Four people were killed in the terrifying tempest
- Terrifying footage shows the moment pedestrians are blown off their feet in Croydon
- Thousands of homes are left without power - and millions of Brits are warned they could be plunged into darkness tonight
- An emergency COBRA meeting has taken place as the killer tempest lashes the country
- Schools were shut and Brits were urged to work from home as the storm blew in
- A lorry driver escaped without injury after his HGV overturned in Oxfordshire, narrowly missing a van
The red 'danger to life' weather warning has officially ended across the UK.
However, there's little respite, with another three days of alerts in place.
Eight inches of snow, freezing ice and 80mph gales will follow in the squall's wake.
Temperatures will plummet to -1C overnight in some areas.
A new yellow warning for ice is then in place across the vast majority of Scotland and down into England.
Those on the east coast will miss the icy blast - but residents as far south as Stoke on Trent are urged to take care.
That warning is in force until 9am tomorrow.
A separate yellow alert for wind is also in place for the south tomorrow between 6am and 6pm.
The warning covers south Wales, swathes of the West Country and the entire south coast.
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It will compound the misery for Brits who have been among the worst-affected by Eunice, particularly in the Isle of Wight, which saw the fiercest gales.
On Sunday, yellow warnings for wind have been issued for Scotland and parts of the north-west, while a rain alert is in place between Carlisle and Bakewell in Derbyshire.
And on Monday, another yellow alert for wind will be enforced in Scotland and the north-west.
Britain will finally be free of weather misery at noon that day.
Aidan McGivern of the Met Office said: "Unfortunately, yet more wet and windy weather is expected this weekend, but not on the same scale as Storm Eunice."
As the storm clears, a north-westerly wind will bring showers, sleet, ice and snow to the north, he said. The white stuff will also fall in northern parts of Wales and the Midlands.
Temperatures will drop as winds die down.
Saturday will bring a bright and cold start, particularly in the north.
KILLER STORM
In more southern areas, rain will be chased out by 60mph gales during the afternoon.
Disruptive winds and rain are expected again on Sunday.
Mr McGivern said: "The winds pick up significantly later in the day.
"There's the risk for northern parts of the country - northern England, Scotland, Northern Ireland - of 50 to 60mph gusts inland and 70 to 80mph around exposed coasts and hills."
Tragically, three Brits and an Irishman are known to have been killed today.
A woman in her 30s, who was a passenger in a car, died in Haringey, London when a tree fell onto the vehicle.
A man in his 30s, who was behind the wheel, was taken to hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
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In Hampshire, a man in his 20s was killed and a second man seriously injured when a 10-foot tree fell in market town Alton.
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A man in his 50s died when debris smashed through the windscreen of a car in Merseyside.
And a man in his 60s died in Co Wexford when he was crushed by a tree as he cleared debris.
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