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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Clean-up begins in Ireland after Storm Bert as thousands still left without power
Clean-up operations are under way after Storm Bert swept across the island of Ireland, causing flooding and thousands of power outages.
Power cuts affected 60,000 customers at the height of the outage; ESB teams are still working to restore supplies to the thousands still left without electricity.
Status red rain warnings were in place for Cork and Galway until 10am on Saturday, with an orange alert for rain in place for counties Waterford, Kerry, Clare, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim.
Read more here:
Clean-up begins after Storm Bert as thousands still left without power
‘You can’t miss a day’s trade. I think that’s what’s going to really hurt us,’ one Cork business owner said.
How to stay safe during Storm Bert
As the Met Office issues a flurry of weather warnings over the weekend, what can we do to prepare and protect ourselves, and our homes, from these turbulent conditions?
Camilla Foster reports:
How to stay safe during Storm Bert
The majority of the UK will be facing at least one weather warning in the days to come
Pictured: Snow blankets Scottish city of Stirling
Where are flood warnings in force in Wales?
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has issued a series of flood warnings and alerts across the country, as bridges are shut and roads closed. Over the weekend, Wales is expected to face up to 75mm of rain widely, with 150 mm possible in some areas.
NRW has issued flood warnings – where flooding is expected, and immediate action is required – on five stretches of river. It has also issued alerts – where flooding is possible – for more than 30 areas across Wales.
Warnings are in place around:
- River Loughor at Ammanford and Llandybie impacting low-lying property in Ammanford, Llandybie and Aberlash, including Carmarthenshire College
- River Severn, affecting the village of Aberbechan
- River Severn, affecting parts of the village of Abermule
- River Cothi in low lying areas between Pontargothi and Pontynyswen, including the Cothi Bridge Hotel
- River Towy, affecting isolated properties, as well as farms and roads, between Llandeilo and Abbergwili
Gusts of 82mph recorded in north Wales
The strongest gust recorded by the Met Office on Saturday afternoon was 82mph at Capel Curig in Conwy, north Wales, with winds of 70mph expected around coastal areas.
The Needles on the Isle of Wight saw gusts of 76mph, while winds reached 69mph at Devon’s Berry Head.
Holidaymakers at ‘decimated’ Newcastle Airport express surprise at intensity of snowfall
Holidaymakers at Newcastle International Airport said the runway was “decimated” by snow as Storm Bert batters the country with strong winds, heavy rain and snow and ice.
Frequent travellers Tim Harding, 53, and his wife, Chona, 58, were due to fly at 9.15am with Dutch airline KLM to Amsterdam from Newcastle before flying with Delta airlines to Orlando, Florida, to meet their family in the US for Thanksgiving.
Mr Harding said: “Going to the airport... it was sleeting all the way through then all of a sudden it started coming down.
“There were about four or five snow ploughs on the runway and they just couldn’t clear it. It was windy and it was literally coming down really quick, so hard. In the space of two hours, it went from nothing to decimated.
“The gritters were out continuously, the ploughs were out continuously, but it just wasn’t having an impact unfortunately. I was surprised how quickly it came down and how much came down in a two-hour period. I haven’t seen that for a long time.”
Met Office predicts heavy rain will develop overnight and into Sunday
The Met Office forecasts heavy rain developing overnight and into Sunday for south-west and southern England, stretching from Oxford to Truro.
There is a chance that some places over Dartmoor could see 100-150mm of rainfall, the national weather service said.
A yellow warning is in place from 6am on Saturday until 11.45pm on Sunday and up to 70mm of rain could fall during this time.
Homeowners facing flooding as Storm Bert batters Wales
Homeowners are facing flooding as Storm Bert continues to batter Wales, bringing rain, winds and rising waters.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has issued a series of flood warnings and alerts across the country, as bridges are shut and roads closed.
Five adults and five children had to be rescued from a house in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, near Llangollen in north Wales, following a landslide.
George Thompson reports:
Homeowners facing flooding as Storm Bert batters Wales
Five Flood warnings and more than 30 alerts have been issued across Welsh rivers by Natural Resources Wales.
Five children among 10 rescued from Wales home after landslide
Five children are among the 10 people who have been rescued from a home in north Wales following a landslide.
The five adults and five children were rescued from the house in Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, near Llangollen.
A North Wales Fire and Rescue Services spokesman said they are all being assessed by ambulance services away from the scene “somewhere warm”.
A further landslide has been reported in the area but it is understood no-one else was affected.
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