Storm Eunice rips roof from London's arena with wind gusts up to 90 mph

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Storm Eunice shredded part of the O2 arena roof in London on Friday, forcing an immediate evacuation and a complete shutdown of the multipurpose space for the rest of the day.

"The safety of our visitors remains of paramount importance," the O2 said in a statement obtained by BBC. "We will continue to assess the ongoing situation and act accordingly."

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The video shows the aftermath of the storm, where up to six panels from roof head of the arena were reportedly ripped into shreds by wind gusts up to 90 mph. 

"Due to today's adverse weather conditions, we can confirm that there has been some damage caused to the tent fabric in our roof at the O2. The affected areas have been cleared and the O2 will remain closed for the rest of the day," said an O2 spokesperson. 

O2 arena, formerly known as the Millennium Dome, first opened in 2000 in Greenwich, south-east London. O2 served as the home arena to the 2012 Summer Olympics. 

U.K. citizens were forewarned on Friday to stay indoors and cancel travel plans to protect themselves from the forecasted damage of Storm Eunice. U.K. authorities issued "red" warnings for parts of England and London due to winds that may exceed 90 miles per hour, according to the Associated Press.

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Eunice is the second storm of high wind magnitude to hit Europe. It has killed at least five people in Germany and Poland days prior to Friday's damage.