Forests across Cumbria are closing ahead of Storm Éowyn hitting the county.
Forestry England is closing all its forests in the North of England tomorrow, Friday January 24, to protect the public from the very strong winds forecast as part of the storm.
It is strongly urging people to not visit Cumbria’s forests on Friday due to the high risk of falling trees and is warning people to take extra care if visiting after Friday, due to the high risk of storm damage.
Forests looked after by Forestry England in Cumbria include Ennerdale, Cogra Moss, Whinlatter, Grizedale, Blengdale Forest, Hardknott, Whitbarrow, Eggerslack Woods, Dalton Crags Forest, Dodd Wood, Setmurthy, and High Stand and Coombs Wood.
Wild Ennerdale, a partnership between Forestry England, the National Trust, United Utilities and Natural England, has also asked people to stay safe and to not travel to or visit Ennerdale tomorrow.
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for the entire county that comes into effect tomorrow, Friday January 24.
It said the storm is likely to bring the strongest winds of winter so far – with gusts reaching up to 90mph – and widespread disruption is expected.
Rail services are already heavily disrupted across the county and a multi-agency response is now being prepared by the Cumbria Local Resilience Forum to ensure any response is co-ordinated so communities can access any help and support they need.
