Rare Red Alert Issued As UK Braces For Storm Eunice, Possible 'Sting Jet'

The U.K. is bracing for Storm Eunice, with several areas being placed under a rare red alert warning. The storm may be particularly dangerous as it could form the weather phenomenon known as a sting jet.

Storm Eunice is expected to cause "significant disruption and dangerous conditions" on Friday, U.K.'s weather service, the Met Office, noted. In many places in Wales and South West England, experts have even issued a rare red alert warning for Friday.

A red alert warning is the "highest weather warning category" in the U.K., CNN noted. According to the Met Office, those in affected areas may experience disruptions such as road and railway closures as well as power cuts that may, in turn, affect other services such as phone coverage.

Dangerous conditions may also be expected. These include flying debris that may pose "danger to life," damages to buildings, trees being uprooted and large waves hitting coastal roads and seafront homes. Flooding may also occur in coastal properties.

Many schools have decided to close down as a precaution as millions living in affected areas are being advised to stay home during the storm, BBC News reported.

"It is the most powerful storm we have seen in recent years and we should tie down anything loose, especially trampolines, and make plans to stay in, especially if you live in a red zone," Aidan McGivern of the Met Office told the outlet, adding, red warnings are not "issued lightly."

Other areas are also under Amber and Yellow alert warnings.

Sting jet

Storm Eunice comes on the heels of Storm Dudley, which also caused disruptions in "England's north, Scotland's south and Northern Ireland" earlier this week, leaving many still without power. However, Storm Eunice may be particularly "potent" and "rare," CNN noted because it has the possibility of forming what's known as a sting jet.

As the Met Office explained, a sting jet is a "small area of very intense winds" that can develop in powerful weather systems across the U.K. These are narrow and last up to only three to four hours, but they are quite powerful, often coming at 100 miles per hour or even more.

"Sting jets are associated with the strongest and most damaging windstorms and cause extremely severe hurricane-force winds," Severe Weather Europe said.

Sting jets are said to be difficult to forecast because of their small size. As Sky News explained, they have only happened a "handful" of times since its formal discovery -- after the Great Storm of 1987.

But even if the sting jet doesn't occur, Storm Eunice is still expected to bring "damaging winds."

As such, people in affected areas are being advised to prepare by securing loose objects that may be blown into their windows and cause them to break. Doors and windows should also be closed and secured, especially in the "windward" side of the house, the Met Office noted. It's also best not to go outside and repair any damage while the storm is ongoing.

After the storm, one should avoid touching any cables that are hanging or have been blown down as well as walking too close to walls.

"Make sure that any vulnerable neighbors or relatives are safe and help them make arrangements for any repairs," the Met Office noted.