Royal Navy museum forced to close ‘unexpectedly’ on Wednesday due to high winds

The National Museum of the Royal Navy is set to remain closed for the remainder of Wednesday (February 23) due to the “continued impact of high winds”.

The closure has been described as unexpected, with a statement from the museum saying the safety of visitors and staff is a priority.

The statement said: “We are deeply sorry to say that due to the continued impact of high winds, the National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool has been forced to unexpectedly close for the rest of the day – Wednesday 23 February 2022.

“Please check our Facebook and Twitter accounts for latest updates.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but the safety of our staff and visitors must come first, and we thank our visitors for their understanding.”

Wind gusts of up to 46mph are expected to hit Hartlepool on Wednesday afternoon (February 23).

It comes after the town was battered by Storm Dudley and Storm Eunice, resulting in the closure of Elwick Road on Friday (February 18) due to concerns over the condition of the old ambulance station and the high winds.

St Helen’s Primary school was also forced to close temporarily as a safety precaution in light last week’s stormy weather after some cracking was found in its chimney.

Pupils studied remotely for the last three days before the start of the half term holidays after the closure last Wednesday (February 16).

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