Storm Bert latest updates: Danger to life and homes submerged as close to month’s rain falls in 48 hours
Severe disruption as Storm Bert brings torrential rains and winds to UK
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Your support makes all the difference.The Met Office has warned of a danger to life as Storm Bert brought nearly a month’s worth of rain in less than 48 hours – placing nearly 400 areas at risk of flooding and causing severe travel disruption.
Winds of up to 82mph have so far been recorded and, as temperatures rise, melting snow and heavy rain are causing flooding, with energy chiefs warning the worst of the impact is yet to come. Six weather alerts for rain and wind were in force across the UK on Sunday.
Homes and cars were submerged in Wales as rising waters were reported in towns across the country, including Pontypridd, Ebbw Vale and Aberdare.
A man in his 60s died after a tree fell on his car in Hampshire, while 10 people were rescued from a home hit by a landslide in north Wales, rescue services said.
Tens of thousands of homes have been without power, with 4,000 homes affected in the Midlands, south-west England and South Wales and 27,000 customers affected in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire. In Ireland, thousands were still left without electricity on Saturday evening.
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Firefighters pump water out of Pontypridd street
Firefighters have begun to pump water out of Sion Street in Pontypridd where several homes have been flooded.
This is the second time in four years the street – which runs alongside the River Taff – has experienced major flooding.
Members of the public have been arriving to pass out food and drinks to the emergency workers and people bailing water from their homes.
Storm Bert continues to cause havoc on railways
Busy rail routes have also been affected by the blustery weather.
Multiple fallen trees have damaged overhead electrical wires on the railway line between Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport, causing major disruption until further notice, Greater Anglia said.
Great Western Railway services between Plymouth and Penzance, Reading and Basingstoke and Exeter and Barnstaple have had lines blocked by fallen trees leading to cancellations and delays.
Southwestern Railway services into London Waterloo have been disrupted by a tree blocking the railway between Fleet and Farnborough in Hampshire.
With nearly 400 areas at risk of flooding, severe flooding blocked railway lines between Birmingham New Street and Shrewsbury on Sunday morning, but all lines have now reopened. Trains on the route could still be disrupted until well into the afternoon, National Rail said.
Heathrow and Gatwick: flight cancellation chaos intensifies
Many more flights have been cancelled at Heathrow as Storm Bert disrupts flight schedules.
British Airways has now grounded well over 100 short-haul flights to and from the UK’s busiest airport. Links to Athens and Gibraltar are among the most recent cancellations.
Other airlines have also grounded flights, including SAS to and from Stockholm, TAP Portugal serving Lisbon and two round-trips from Amsterdam on KLM.
Several diversions have added to the disruptions. Emirates’ flagship service, EK1, diverted to Birmingham after attempting to land at Heathrow. An Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna went to Brussels. And two Heathrow-bound flights – Egyptair from Cairo and Saudia from Jeddah – diverted to Gatwick.
The Sussex airport has itself seen four diversions, too. Ryanair from Dublin and easyJet from Nantes both went to Birmingham instead. Wizz Air from Rome landed at Stansted. The longest diversion was on Vueling: a flight from Barcelona to Gatwick flew to Manchester. It later returned to its intended destination.
Storm Bert brings nearly a month’s worth of rainfall in less than 48 hours
Storm Bert has brought more than 80 per cent of November’s average monthly rainfall in less than 48 hours as it continues to cause disruption around the country.
Since the storm began in the early hours of Saturday, 149mm of rain has fallen in Tyn-Y-Waun in Mid Glamorgan, Wales. On average, the area sees 180mm of rain in the whole of November, Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said.
In England, 135.7mm of rain has been recorded from the beginning of the storm until 11am on Sunday in White Barrow in Devon which is around half of the total rainfall typical in November.
How long will Storm Bert last?
According to the Met Office, Storm Bert will finally clear form the far northeast early on Tuesday.
While next week will bring quieter weather for many, there is a risk of some further rain and strong winds across the south of the UK on Tuesday night and Wednesday, the forecaster said.
Looking further ahead, there are indications that the UK could see a brief return to colder conditions although for many, but it will be drier than of late, the Met Office said.
However, it is uncertain how long the more settled conditions will last, with rain probably returning to westernmost areas at least by the end of the week.
Storm Bert brings more than 130mm of rainfall in just 24 hours
More than 130mm of rain has already fallen in some areas over the past 24 hours, according to the Met Office.
Those large accumulations of rainfall, plus rapidly thawed snowfall from yesterday, has created a flood risk in hundreds of parts of the UK.
Watch: Fallen tree blocks off road in Kent
Wind warnings in place in several counties across island of Ireland
Wind warnings are in place for several counties on the island of Ireland on Sunday as Storm Bert continues to cause challenging conditions. The storm, which landed overnight on Friday, flooded villages and roads, and disrupted travel.
In Co Donegal, Bridge Street in Killybegs was dramatically flooded, with homes and charities impacted, while the River Feale in west Limerick burst its banks. After alerts warning of rain, wind and snow lifted on Saturday, clean-up operations began and power supplies were restored to thousands of homes and businesses.
On Sunday, forecasters issued low-level wind warnings for 13 counties across the island.
Storm Bert: Wind warnings in place in several counties across island of Ireland
The worst of the storm has passed but there is still a risk of fallen trees and travel disruption in some counties.
Met Office graphic shows Storm Bert outlook on Sunday afternoon
A new Met Office graphic shows the outlook for Sunday afternoon, as a band of heavy rain moves in from the southwest, affecting much of England and Wales, while western Scotland continues to be buffeted by powerful winds.
Homes and cars submerged in Wales
Homes and cars are underwater as Storm Bert continues to take its destructive toll on Wales.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has issued more than 100 flood warnings and alerts across the country, with bridges shut and roads closed.
Rising waters have been reported in towns across the country, including Pontypridd, Ebbw Vale and Aberdare, with landslides in north Wales.
Videos and pictures being shared on social media show parts of Pontypridd underwater, with cars submerged and homeowners bailing out their properties next to the River Taff.
The Pontypridd Parkrun Facebook page said: “Our park has been flooded again whilst we do not know the full extent of any damage yet, initial pictures do not look good.”
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