An Atlantic storm has battered England and Ireland with winds of up to 160km (100 miles) per hour, prompting warnings from the UK’s weather office that Storm Eunice could sow significant disruption, tear off roofs and hammer London.

Tens of thousands have been left without electricity.

Eunice, which brewed in the central Atlantic and was spun up from the Azores towards Europe by the jet stream, has extreme wind speeds that pose a danger to life, the UK’s Meteorological Office said.

The storm hit England’s western coast on Friday, making landfall in Cornwall, according to Reuters news agency.

“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,” Met Office Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders said.

“The red warning area indicates a significant danger to life as extremely strong winds provide the potential for damage to structures and flying debris.”