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Severe winter storms - what's happening and why?

Millions of people were told to stay at home as one of the worst storms in decades, Storm Eunice, hit the UK. But are winter storms becoming more severe or more frequent?

Red weather warnings, winds of more than 100 miles per hour, damage to buildings, power lines down, loads of disruption to travel, schools and businesses - the UK has been battered by severe storms this winter – with Storm Eunice being described as "one of the worst in decades". Those rare red weather warnings - meaning there is a danger to life from flying debris - were issued by the Met Office covering much of southern and eastern England, and south Wales. One gust of 122mph on the Isle of Wight set a record in England. It's the second storm in a week for the UK after Storm Dudley battered parts of Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, leaving thousands of homes without power. For 5 Minutes On, Simon King – a ´óÏó´«Ã½ Weather presenter and meteorologist - looks into whether these weather patterns are particularly unusual, why the storms are so severe, and if we may see more like this in the future as a result of climate change.

Image Credit: Glyn Kirk via Getty Images

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5 minutes