Several dead as Storm Bert wreaks havoc across UK
At least four deaths have been reported in England and Wales with Storm Bert triggering “devastating” floods and causing widespread travel disruption. It is unclear if all the fatalities are linked to the weather system, or took place as it battered parts of the UK. But forecasters have warned Storm Bert will continue to bring disruption – and remains a threat.
Latest on Storm Bert[1] Hundreds of homes have been left underwater after roads were turned into rivers and winds of up to 82mph were recorded. The body of a missing dog walker was found after floodwaters hit North Wales, while three people – in Lancashire, Northamptonshire and near Kings Worthy in Hampshire – died in their cars following suspected weather-related incidents.
Between 200 and 300 properties in South Wales were affected by flooding on Sunday. A major incident was declared in the Rhondda Cynon Taf region amid fears of a more significant impact than during Storm Dennis in 2020. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan described the impact as “absolutely devastating” in the run up to Christmas.
‘Danger to life’ flood warning Advertisement One severe flood warning remains in force on Monday, meaning it is likely to cause “danger to life”.
It applies to the River Nene at Billing Aquadrome on the outskirts of Northampton. More than 160 flood warnings – ranked as the second most serious level – remain in place across Britain. Most of these are in England, where around 200 flood alerts are also in force, indicating flooding is possible.
Image: Flood warnings cover large parts of England on Monday. Pic: Met Office/Environment Agency
Image: Flood warnings also cover Scotland and Wales. Pic: SEPA/Natural Resources Wales
The Met Office said a further spell of very strong winds is forecast affecting parts of western, central and northern Scotland with gusts of between 50 and 60mph likely.
Wind speeds could reach up to 70mph near western coasts and on exposed bridges, with some coastal areas affected by spray and large waves. There is the potential for UK travellers to experience delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport, the forecaster warned.
Image: Rail passengers face delays and cancellations at Paddington Station in London.
Pic: Reuters
Rail routes shut or disrupted There remains wider disruption to rail services on Monday as National Rail warned the impact of the weekend’s weather is still being felt in northern England and Scotland. Several lines are also flooded in southwest England and South Wales.
Great Western has advised against travelling on any of its services today and is recommending people instead delay trips until Tuesday or Wednesday. Transport for Wales said this morning all services between Pontypridd and Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil had been cancelled, and lines are also closed between Hereford and Abergavenny. Services between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport are subject to severe delays, alterations and cancellations because of damage to overhead cables.
Some Southern services are also being cancelled or disrupted, including between Havant and Southampton, London Bridge and Beckenham Junction, and to and from Watford Junction. London Northwestern Railway is not running trains through Northampton due to the River Nene bursting its banks. Network Rail posted an image of flooding at Northampton station.
X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options[3]. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once[4][5]
Speed restrictions are affecting ScotRail services into and out of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. Services across other rail companies could start later than normal as tracks which were flooded or hit by fallen trees are inspected. On Sunday night, part of the M32 around Bristol was closed because of flooding, as was the A49 in Shropshire and Herefordshire.
More than 300 flights set to depart from UK airports were cancelled during Storm Bert, aviation analytics firm Cirium said. Heathrow Airport was worst affected because of intense crosswinds. Power outages
Around 350,000 homes in England lost power during the storm, though most have since been reconnected. National Grid UK says engineering crews have responded and restored power to tens of thousands of customers, particularly in the South West and the West Midlands. Four fatalities
Four people have reportedly died since Storm Bert struck. A body was found in the search for Brian Perry, 75, on Sunday afternoon after he went missing near the River Conwy in North Wales the day before. Coastguard and North Wales Police were involved in the search for him.
Image: 75-year-old Brian Perry went missing with his dog near the River Conwy in North Wales
Lancashire Police confirmed a man in his 80s died on Sunday after his car entered a body of water in Colne on Sunday.
A woman in her 80s was also taken to hospital after being recovered from the water on Cockhill Lane, Foulridge. A man in his 60s died after a tree fell on a car on the A34 near Winchester, Hampshire police said. In Northamptonshire, a man in his 40s died in a crash on the A45 near Flore which police have described as an “unexplained death”.
Brecon Beacons badly hit Following a weekend of extreme weather, the Met Office has revealed which UK locations felt the worst of Sunday’s downpours.
X This content is provided by X, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable X cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options[8]. Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to X cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow X cookies for this session only.Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once[9][10]
The Welsh village of Libanus in the Brecon Beacons received no less than 72mm of rainfall.
Forecasters say Monday will start blustery for many, with frequent showers expected in Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, Wales and the West Country.
References
- ^ Latest on Storm Bert (news.sky.com)
- ^ How long will wet and windy weather last? (news.sky.com)
- ^ Privacy Options (news.sky.com)
- ^ Enable Cookies (news.sky.com)
- ^ Allow Cookies Once (news.sky.com)
- ^ Russian forces capture ‘former British soldier (news.sky.com)
- ^ Davina McCall has short-term memory problems (news.sky.com)
- ^ Privacy Options (news.sky.com)
- ^ Enable Cookies (news.sky.com)
- ^ Allow Cookies Once (news.sky.com)