An Atlantic storm battered north-western Europe with recorded winds of up to 122 miles per hour, killing at least nine people, knocking out power for tens of thousands and shredding the roof of London`s O2 arena. Storm Eunice, which brewed in the central Atlantic and was spun up from the Azores towards Europe by the jet stream, posed a danger to life, Britain`s Meteorological Office said.

The storm hit western England, making landfall in Cornwall, where waves lashed the coast, sending plumes of spray over the roofs of cottages. More than 1,00,000 people were hit by power cuts as lines were torn down and ancient trees keeled over. “We only issue red weather warnings when we think there is a threat to life from the weather,” the Met Office said.