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Storm Barra news – news: UK hit by 80mph gales as pensioner found dead in flooded river

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Thomas Kingsley
Thursday 09 December 2021 09:04 GMT
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Storm Barra: Roof ripped off school and major travel disruption in Wales

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An 80-year-old woman is believed to have been killed in 80 mph winds of Storm Barra.

Venetia Smith, 80, is believed to have fallen from a bridge after she went missing her home in Blandford, Dorset, on Tuesday morning.

Her body was found in a river near Langdon Road at about 3pm.

Chief Inspector Matt Baxter, of Dorset Police, said: “Our thoughts remain with Venetia’s family and friends at this very difficult time.”

Around 1,000 properties remain without power after Storm Barra swept across the country.The latest power cuts come just days after the final homes were reconnected following Storm Arwen, which had caused "catastrophic damage" to electricity networks mainly in the north east of Scotland, affecting 135,000 properties.

The Met Office issued yellow weather warnings as Storm Barra brought high winds, heavy rain and snow on Tuesday.

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Storm Barra affecting large parts of the UK. We bring you the latest updates from day two of this weather event.

Thomas Kingsley8 December 2021 08:04

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