Millions urged to stay indoors amid winds reaching 90mph, with the army on high alert for deployment.

An emergency Cobra meeting has been scheduled as England and Wales prepare for Storm Eunice, expected to be one of the most severe storms in decades. The storm has prompted rare red weather warnings, indicating a significant risk to life, and millions have been advised to remain indoors.

The meeting, set for Friday afternoon, will involve ministers and officials discussing the coordinated response to the extreme weather. A government spokesperson confirmed, “The minister for the Cabinet Office will chair a COBR this afternoon to discuss the response to Storm Eunice.”

The Met Office issued the highest level of alert early Friday morning, extending it to include eastern England, including London, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The warning highlights the likelihood of “significant disruption and dangerous conditions due to extremely strong winds.”

Areas such as Greater London, Kent, Surrey, Essex, and East Sussex have joined the earlier red warning zones along the coastlines of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, and the south coast of Wales. The combination of high tides, powerful winds, and a storm surge is expected to create hazardous conditions in these regions.

With winds of up to 90mph forecasted, the army has been placed on high readiness standby, prepared to assist where necessary as the country braces for the storm’s impact.