Don't travel warning issued after Storm Dudley damages Wolverhampton railway station

An amber weather warning for wind, which carried a danger to life message - has been issued across most of the UK, including the West Midlands. Further south a rare red weather warning - meaning danger to life from flying debris - has been issued across South West England and South Wales, where gusts are expected to reach 90mph.

The warnings have led to attractions such as Dudley Zoo, West Midland Safari Park and the Black Country Living Museum announcing closures and comes after platforms at one of the Black Country's busiest railway stations were closed on Thursday morning when strong winds damaged the roof.

Meanwhile concerns over flooding remain across the region, with further barriers being put up along the River Severn in Bewdley. Stourport Road was closed on Friday morning as a result and Bewdley Bridge is likely to shut on Saturday.

Storm Dudley's gusts damaged the roof at Wolverhampton railway station overnight, leading to the closure of some of the platforms into Thursday morning. There were also reports of a mattress on the tracks at Lye, Dudley, and a bag at Walsall, which added to disruption.

The storm caused more damage on Wednesday evening with a number of trees being blown across roads as 70mph winds buffered the region.

One blocked Birches Barn Road in the Bradmore area of Wolverhampton. Police closed off the road before council officers cleared the area, though nobody is believed to have been hurt.

Paul Berry, who lives nearby, said he had been sat at home at 5pm when he said he heard a loud noise outside.

He said: "I think with the wind blowing as hard as it is, it must have moved it enough to make it fall over, but the police have been very quick about getting the road closed and making sure we stay in our houses for safety.

"Luckily, no one was underneath it when it fell, which is the main thing and, looking at it, I can't see any damage to houses or cars and I think only a street light was hit by it."

Numerous trees blew over elsewhere in the region, including in Beacon Lane in Sedgley, Habberley Lane in Kidderminster and over in Sutton Coldfield where Allesley Close was blocked.

And concerns over flooding continue, with more barriers being put up along the River Severn in Bewdley.

Dudley Zoo and Castle will close on Friday for animal and public safety as Storm Eunice prepares to sweep across the country, with the zoo animals being kept safe inside their dens.

Zoo Manager Matt Lewis said: “We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but with a weather warning in place, we have to be sensible and the safety of our animals, staff and visitors is our top priority.

“We plan to be open as normal today and this weekend, but please keep an eye on the zoo’s website and social media for further updates."

Meanwhile National Trust properties including Attingham Park in Shropshire will close on Friday. The car parks at Comer Woods, Dudmaston and Benthall Hall in Shropshire, and Kinver Edge in Staffordshire, will also be closed on Friday.

And Moseley Old Hall and Wightwick Manor in the West Midlands will be closed as well.

A spokesman for the National Trust in the Midlands said: "Due to the forecast for high winds and stormy conditions many of our places will be closed on Friday, with post-storm checks likely to be needed into Saturday. We advise those planning a visit over the next few days to check our website before travelling."

A spokeswoman for Black Country Living Museum said: "Following the severe weather warning, we have taken the decision to close museum will be closed to visitors (on Friday)."

A spokesperson for West Midland Safari Park added: "Due to the weather warnings for Storm Eunice, we have taken the decision to close the Park on Friday, for the safety of our animals and guests.

"We apologise for the disruption and inconvenience this may have caused but hope that those affected understand that our priority is to ensure that our animals are kept safe and warm while the Park is closed.

"For those guests who have pre-booked tickets for tomorrow, we will be issuing eGift Vouchers to allow them to book for another occasion.

"We will continue to assess conditions tomorrow, and over the weekend, but plan to reopen on Saturday to welcome guests for half term. We advise visitors to check our website and social media channels for further updates."

However one attraction which will remain open is Cadbury World in Birmingham with general manager Gerrard Balwin saying: "There are currently no plans to close Cadbury World this weekend, but we will continue to monitor weather warnings as Storm Eunice approaches to ensure visitor safety at the attraction."

Car parks on Baggeridge Country Park's railway walk – at bratch station and Himley plantation – will be closed on Friday, with people urged to stay out of woodland areas at the beauty spot.

And Dudley Canal Trust announced it was shutting as well for the "safety of our staff, volunteers and the public".

Elsewhere, West Mercia Police said they were experiencing an "increased level of demand" due to members of the public reporting fallen trees – as they urged people to report the issue to their council instead.

National Highways has warned there is a particularly high risk that high-sided vehicles and other "vulnerable" vehicles – including caravans and motorbikes – could be blown over on some roads in the region when Storm Eunice arrives.

They highlighted the M5 Junction 1 and Junction 2 from West Bromwich to Dudley, the M5 Junction 4 to Junction 5 from Kidderminster to Redditch, and the M6 Junction 6 to Junction 8 from Spaghetti Junction to Friar Park.

The weather conditions have led to council chiefs urging people to be as vigilant as possible and take "extra care" if they need to travel as they predict an "extremely busy" time.

In its amber warning for the West Midlands the Met Office says: "There is a good chance that flying debris could result in a danger to life. Damage to buildings and homes is likely, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down.

"Roads, bridges and railway lines are likely to close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights. There is a good chance that power cuts, possibly prolonged, could occur and possibly affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage

"It is likely there will be falling branches and some uprooted trees."

Avanti West Coast is also operating a reduced timetable this week.

In a tweet the operator said: "Due to Storm Eunice, we’ll be operating an amended timetable on Friday 18 February with journey times extended due to speed restrictions.

"We strongly recommend customers do not travel on Friday 18 & instead travel on Thursday 17 or Saturday 19 Feb with their original tickets."

West Midlands Railway is also warning passengers not to travel on Friday, saying existing tickets will be valid for travel on Thursday or Saturday instead on "any West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway service for the route specified on your ticket".

Meanwhile West Midlands Fire Service called on people to take extra care after they revealed they took around 30 weather-related 999 calls on Wednesday, before 4pm and midnight, when Storm Dudley hit – including a cyclist who needed rescuing from a canal.

Area Commander Alex Shapland said: "Wednesday’s storm perhaps gave a hint of things to come. Many of our crews worked extremely hard in some very challenging conditions.

"We’re asking everyone to think very carefully about their safety on Friday and especially whether or not they need to leave their homes.

"As ever, our fire control, firefighters and specialist teams will be ready to respond to incidents that pose a risk to life and property. We are expecting lots of calls, so please only call 999 when appropriate.

"Fallen trees, for example, should be reported to councils if they present no imminent danger. You should call your utility company about loss of power.

"Ahead of the storm, please also think about securing items outside the home, such as garden trampolines or bins."

Fire crews responded to seven incidents including at Birmingham International railway station where five cladding panels had become detached from the building on Wednesday, at around 4pm.

Loose scaffolding boards were removed, or made safe, at the Royal Wolverhampton Primary School an hour later and loose corrugated iron sheeting on a factory unit in Lower Rushall Street, Walsall, was also made safe.

Unsafe roof tiles across three properties on William Street in Birmingham were made safe at around 7pm, an unsafe advertising board on Wednesfield Road was made safe at around 10pm, a loose roof on a house was made safe on Swinford Road in Stourbridge at around 10.15pm.

And finally firefighters rescued a cyclist from a canal after he'd hit a fallen tree at Hillfields, Coventry, at around 11pm.