THE county council has told schools not to open today as Hampshire braces itself for severe disruptions caused by Storm Eunice.

The Met Office has issued a red warning for wind for parts of county, this is the highest level of alert and is place from 10am to 3pm.

The warning means that there could be flying debris “resulting in danger to life”, as well as damage to buildings and homes, power cuts, along with roads, bridges and railway lines closed.

An amber warning is in place for much of the rest of England until 9pm.

This morning, Hampshire County Council sent a message to parents saying it has decided to close schools.

The council said: “With the Met Office warning of significant risk to life, we feel this is the only safe option.”

A council spokesperson said: "A spokesperson for Hampshire County Council said: “We were alerted to the change in weather warning status at 04.30 hours this morning (Friday 18 February 2022) and by 05.00 hours had issued advice to schools that they should remain closed today and notify parents and carers as soon as possible.”