A rare red weather warning has been issued for Hertfordshire, London, and the rest of the south east of England because of Storm Eunice.

Strong winds are set to batter the nation with the worst of the weather expected between 10am and 3pm today (February 18).

The Met Office says this high alert comes with a 'danger to life' warning because of flying debris with gusts of between 60 and 70mph widely expected.

The weather agency is also warning of "significant disruption" with power cuts likely. Trees are in danger of falling and there is also the potential for damage to properties.

Follow live updates on Storm Eunice in Hertfordshire here

The Met Office added the dangerous weather phenomenon known as a sting jet – a small area of highly intense wind inside a storm – could form later on Friday.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: "After the impacts from Storm Dudley for many on Wednesday, Storm Eunice will bring damaging gusts in what could be one of the most impactful storms to affect southern and central parts of the UK for a few years."

People are being urged to stay at home and only travel if necessary.

Train operators have already requested people avoid travelling with Thameslink and London Northwestern running reduced services.

Hertfordshire's chief fire officer Alex Woodman said: "We are advising residents to stay at home where possible and avoid making unnecessary journeys. If you do have to travel, please take extra care and allow extra time for your journey.

"Our fire crews will be standing by to respond to any incidents and keep the county safe."

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council added: "We are asking residents to take care today (Friday 18, February) after the Met Office issued a red weather warning for Storm Eunice, which is expected to bring high winds to Hertfordshire.

"With gusts of up to 80mph predicted, we are asking residents to be ready for the possibility of flying debris, fallen trees, power cuts and disruption to travel

"We are advising residents to stay at home where possible and avoid making unnecessary journeys."

National Highways said high-sided vehicles and other "vulnerable" vehicles such as caravans and motorbikes could be blown over so should avoid bridges and viaducts.

Head of road safety Jeremy Phillips urged those travelling to "plan your trip and take extra care, allowing more time for your journey".

UK Power Networks says additional staff are on hand to respond to incidents throughout the day.

A spokesperson said: "Our electricity network is built to be resilient but strong winds and heavy rain can bring down branches and trees, damaging overhead power lines. Where this happens we work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

"We have organised for additional staff in our contact centre and more engineers on the ground, particularly for Storm Eunice, to be available to help customers whose electricity supply might be affected by the predicted weather."

To report a power cut or damage to the electricity network, call UK Power Networks for free on 105.

The Cobra emergency committee met on Thursday "to discuss the response to Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice" and to plan for power cuts, the Government said, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Army is on standby to help those affected by Storm Eunice.