Britain is in the grip of weather mayhem as 100mph winds and torrential rain bring death and destruction – and more storms are on the way.
One man was electrocuted in Wiltshire by fallen power cables. The storm damage could cost us £15billion. One expert said: “This is an unparalleled natural crisis.”
Many areas were battered by hurricane force gusts that sparked travel chaos up and down the land with large chunks of the rail network grinding to a halt due to fallen overhead lines, debris on track and speed restrictions.
Virgin trains sent out a dramatic statement warning all customers to “abandon travel” and urged those already on trips to get off at the next station.
As weather experts issued a red alert for Wales and the North West, spelling a danger to life, a man in his 70s was electrocuted while trying to clear a fallen tree that had hit power cables.
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And forecasters warned two more fearsome storms are heading our way from the Atlantic and will strike over the next few days, giving little respite from the devastation.
Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power when electricity cables were damaged and many areas already flooded suffered more deluges.
The West, North West and Wales bore the brunt of the foul weather, as troops were placed on stand by to help with the clear up. Gusts of 108mph hit Aberdaron on the North Wales coast.
Police said the man who died was electrocuted in Calne, Wilts, after high winds brought down the tree. Paramedics tried to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ports and airports were also battered by the storms. Crossings between Dover and Calais were cancelled or faced delays. Irish Sea trips between Heysham, Lancs, and the Isle of Man were axed and in Liverpool all Mersey ferry services were stopped. There were also delays on the Isle of Wight ferries.
Flights to and from John Lennon airport in Liverpool were severely disrupted and some jets at Manchester airport were grounded. Birmingham and Cardiff airports also had delays.
WeatherWeb forecaster Simon Keeling warned last night: “It’s not over yet.
“We have to get over Saturday first of all. We can describe today’s storm as exceptional. It’s probably the strongest we have had this winter in terms of the broad area it has covered.”
And the Met Office added: “The system coming in from the south will push in and develop on Friday. Into Monday we are likely to see further wet and windy weather.” Paul Leinster, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said: “With further rain expected in the coming days, after the wettest January on record in England, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.”
On the trains, all Virgin services north out of London Euston were suspended until further notice. In Cheshire, Crewe station was evacuated and all journeys stopped after the roof was blown off the station. It later reopened.
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Half the normal number of trains were running on a major commuter route through Maidenhead, Berks, and speed restrictions were put in place across large parts of western Britain.
In Angmering, West Sussex, services were cancelled after a signal box was struck by lightning.
Last night’s Premier League football games between Manchester City and Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium and Everton versus Crystal Palace at Goodison Park were postponed for safety reasons amid the horrendous weather.
The West Coast Main Line closed between Preston and Lancaster last night because of high winds and speed restrictions were placed on trains in the North West – delaying journeys by up to an hour.
The already soaked West Country is expected to have another 2.75ins of rain in 48 hours – more than the region would normally get in all of February. The South is likely to get 1.5ins of rain. Parts of the River Thames are expected to hit their highest levels in more than 60 years.
Maidenhead and Windsor and areas of Surrey are braced for severe damage over the weekend. Council staff delivered dozens of portable loos to flooded areas where elderly and disabled people could not leave their homes.
The Environment Agency said 1,135 homes have been flooded across the country in two weeks.
Water was creeping towards more properties last night, with 16 severe flood warnings in place for the Somerset Levels and Thames Valley.
The promenade at Aberystwyth in west Wales was battered by enormous waves from the swollen sea.
Pumps shipped in from Holland to Somerset have been removing 7.3 million tons of water every day.
Temporary flood defences have been delivered to Oxford, Guildford, and Kenley, South London.
Around 1,600 military personnel are on the ground dealing with the floods. A further 500 are on stand-by to provide specialist support.
Major General Patrick Sanders, assistant Chief of the Defence Staff, said: “It’s a really complicated problem in the face of an almost unparalleled natural crisis. We’re already closely involved but there’s much more we can do across the country. We are ready to serve, whether that’s specialist support, sandbags, relieving hard stretched agencies.
“There is more we can do and we want to do more, so please use us.” London also suffered flooding when a
100-year-old pipe burst in Finsbury Park, after failing to deal with overflow from reservoirs.
The Thames barrier closed again to protect large areas of the capital. Flooding has closed 44 roads in Surrey, with another 16 affected.
A lorry driver was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving when his vehicle blew over after he ignored warnings not to cross the Britannia Bridge between Anglesey in North Wales and the mainland.
Chief Inspector Darren Wareing of North Wales police said: “Conditions are becoming treacherous. We are advising everyone to stay indoors.”
In Upper Basildon, Berks, an 8ft sinkhole appeared in a driveway, leaving a Mercedes car teetering on the edge.
And a 15ft sinkhole that caused the busy M2 to close between Faversham and Sittingbourne in Kent has been filled in with 40 tons of shingle.
Many flood victims have continued to direct their anger at the Environment Agency, which yesterday pulled staff out of Wraysbury, Berks, due to hostility from residents. Volunteers have criticised authorities for failing to act quickly, leaving residents to help each other.
GMB union chief Justin Bowden blamed blundering Communities Secretary Eric Pickles for the fury.
He said: “This is a direct result of the irresponsible attack by Eric Pickles and others on the EA.
“His incitement has led to the very people on the front line who are actually helping to alleviate the situation bearing the brunt of people’s frustrations.”
We will bring you all the reaction to the floods and bad weather in our live blog.
For : IBC WORLD NEWS
