Emergency services took hundreds of calls in Suffolk as Storm Eunice hit the county - and there are warnings of more bad weather this weekend.

Suffolk Resilience Forum declared a "major incident" on Friday morning as people braced themselves for extremely strong gusts.

Community leaders met with key partners, such as police, the fire service, utility companies and health bodies every two hours as the day developed.

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In total, Suffolk police received 339 calls to 999 and 431 calls to 101 – with 150 of these being related to the weather.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service attended 51 incidents, while Suffolk Highways received 146 reports of fallen trees and road obstructions.

As of 6pm on Friday, 43 of these had been cleared, 12 were being tackled and 30 are scheduled.

Highways teams will be working through the night to clear Suffolk's road network after the storm.

In addition, UK Power Networks – which manages the electricity grid across the East of England – confirmed a total of 13,900 properties in Suffolk were left without power at various points in the day.

Jon Lacey, Suffolk’s chief fire officer and chair of the Suffolk Resilience Forum group coordinating the joint response to the storm, praised emergency workers for their efforts on Friday.

He said: "Gale force winds have brought down trees, damaged buildings, closed schools, workplaces, roads and bridges and threatened public safety in Suffolk today.

The progress of the storm

"But despite this, first responders, carers, nurses, refuse collectors and community volunteers from a range of organisations in Suffolk have battled to rescue and support people in Suffolk so the county can get back on track. On behalf of the Suffolk Resilience Forum, I would like to thank them all.

"The weather conditions are likely to change this weekend and present new threats, so I would urge people to continue to follow the safety advice we are giving, especially when outside in the open."

This weekend’s weather forecasts also predict rain, very cold temperatures and more high winds – so caution is being urged.

People are being urged to:

  • Driving to the conditions, with debris and surface water expected.
  • Reporting fallen trees and obstructions on roads and paths to Suffolk Highways on 0345 606 6171.
  • Avoid coastal areas due to an increased risk of erosion, posing danger to life.
  • Plan their journey well in advance and checking for travel disruption before leaving – the Orwell Bridge is currently closed in both directions and the rail network is currently suspended.
  • Place candles on flat surfaces and ensure they are not left unattended if used.