A SKY News journalist received an on-screen soaking after braving treacherous coastal conditions - while warning people to stay indoors.
A social media video shows Ashna Hurynag delivering a report on the dangerous conditions being brought to the UK by Storm Eunice.
The journalist was addressing the camera live from Porthcawl in South Wales, and her surrounding environment showed just how bad the weather was as she was repeatedly battered by the wind and huge waves from the coast.
The report has sparked a mixed reaction on social media - with many hitting out at the broadcaster for having their reporter outside.
Sky’s @AshnaHurynag gets an on-screen soaking as she reports on #StormEunice from Porthcawl in South Wales.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 18, 2022
The correspondent was live when she was hit by waves and spray from the sea.https://t.co/GzcTXThm5A pic.twitter.com/ptrIzlgPXn
Ms Hurynag told Sky News: "All the way from Swansea all the way across to new cause, the coastline is going to be battered over the next few hours and already the tide has fully come in.
"You can see the waves occasionally splattering over the barriers.
"This is no doubt going to be an incredibly dangerous coastline.
"It is because of this weather all schools in Wales today have been shut, now it's not going to be too disruptive I have to say to children, as they do is the half term that starts tomorrow."
The current Met Office advice is to stay at home unless it is essential to leave in order to limit the number of people subsequentially putting their lives at risk to help others.
The report had a lot of viewers questioning why a journalist was out in the very weather and area they are describing as "incredibly dangerous".
One twitter user wrote: “Danger to go outside but send a reporter out to report on the wind anyhow.
The advice today, stay inside and stay away from the coast. The media - lets go to the coast so the pictures look more dramatic.😃 #StormEunice
— Stuart_JSmith (@Stuart_JSmith) February 18, 2022
Ms Hurynag went on with her report adding: “Having said that though public transport is also heavily disrupted.
"The bus company stagecoach cancelling all buses in South Wales in classes are running and not going to be double-deckers because of the risk of course of those high winds that you can feel and see me getting battered by.
"The other thing that's being disrupted is all trains today in Wales being cancelled throughout the entire country and that really goes to show how dangerous things could be.
"We've already seen two people out for a run today, so not stopping their daily ritual, but there are loads of flats along this coastline and anyone who has any garden furniture or any loose bits of furniture have been encouraged to take those inside."
In Scotland, motorists are facing difficult driving conditions and schools are shut in some areas of country as Storm Eunice sweeps in, bringing heavy snow.
A Met Office weather warning for snow is in place between 3am and 6pm on Friday, while a wind warning encompasses the south-west Scottish borders, including most of Dumfries and Galloway.
Snow is forecast throughout the day for most of mainland Scotland south of Inverness and Fort William, and was disrupting travel on Friday morning.
The M8 was closed eastbound at junction five due to the heavy snow and Traffic Scotland tweeted that there were reports of vehicles getting stuck on the A68 near Soutra.
Bear Scotland North West Trunk Roads reported heavy snow across the north-west network, including the A83 Rest And Be Thankful, A82 Glencoe, A85 Glen Ogle, and A889 Catlodge.
In Aberdeenshire more than 30 schools were closed due to the forecast heavy snow while some schools were shut in Angus and Inverclyde.
Ferry passengers also faced disruption on Friday due to adverse weather.
Caledonian MacBrayne said that some services were liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice due to the conditions.
Storm Eunice follows strong winds from Storm Dudley that caused significant disruption to rail and ferry services, with trees blown on to train tracks and overhead power lines.
Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience team and that Storm Eunice “will bring risk of snow and strong winds across most of Scotland on Friday and danger of coastal flooding in south-west Scotland”.
He added: “Please follow all advice and only travel if safe to so do.”
With more than 20cm of snow predicted on higher ground and 5cm elsewhere, Scottish Mountain Rescue warned there was a risk of “dangerous conditions”, including the possibility of avalanches.
The organisation’s vice chairman Kev Mitchell said: “The weekend forecast is for very unsettled and, at times, dangerous conditions.
“With the arrival of Storm Eunice on Friday, hills will see high winds and the potential for snowfall to low levels meaning the avalanche forecast will be likely to worsen.
“Good decision-making is key in these situations and often the decision not to go, whilst correct, is the hardest one to make.”
Heavy snow on the A9 near Dunblane. A few miles down the road it’s just rain in Stirling. Shows how quick it can change out there. Take care. #StormEunice pic.twitter.com/1mayg2GZ2B
— Sean Batty (@SeanBattyTV) February 18, 2022
Specialist mountain weather forecasts are predicting sustained periods of gales or hurricane-force winds on higher terrain for the next week, with snow, rain and hail expected most days.
Mountaineering Scotland’s safety adviser Ben Gibson said: “With such extreme weather being forecast it’s important to plan your journeys around conditions rather than just going for long-held ambitions.
“Check the specialist mountain forecasts and what the Scottish Avalanche Information Service says, and take an honest look at your fitness and skill levels – and those of the others in your party – and consider whether your planned route is really attainable or whether you should adapt it or make different plans altogether.”
Despite the snow forecast, ScotRail said it does not expect the same levels of disruption from Storm Eunice as from Storm Dudley but has pre-emptively announced some trains will not be running.
Morning everyone ❄️The team are back logged in from 8am - 8pm. ⛈️ Weather disruption continues across the network today. You can visit 👉 https://t.co/DbTSJ53hXx for service updates or contact us if you need anything 😀 pic.twitter.com/tlwznsKeKX
— CalMac Service Info (@CalMac_Updates) February 18, 2022
Glasgow and Edinburgh trains to Arbroath and Montrose to Aberdeen services will not run because sets of points on the line that allow trains to move tracks are not fitted with heaters, meaning they could freeze and get stuck.
David Simpson, operations director at ScotRail Alliance, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme just after 8am: “Services are running very well at present, we are running a full timetable on the vast majority of routes and it’s running well.”
Network Rail Scotland announced it has five locomotives fitted with snow ploughs to use as required. It is proactively spraying de-icer on key junctions and extra staff will be deployed to deal with any problems.
The Met Office yellow alert for Friday warns there is a chance of travel delays on roads, possibly with stranded vehicles and passengers, along with delayed or cancelled rail and air travel and a slight chance that some rural communities could be temporarily cut off.
Forecasters said there is a small chance of power cuts and that other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.
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