Up to 56,000 homes remained without power today as Britain suffered its third storm in less than a week with rail commuters told to avoid travelling following severe flooding, landslides and evacuations amid 87mph winds.
Storm Franklin swept in overnight with a Met Office yellow wind warning in place for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and western Scotland until 1pm this afternoon as electricity engineers battle to reconnect properties.
More than 450 flood alerts or warnings were in place across the UK, including two severe warnings in south Manchester that prompted more than 400 homes to be evacuated – while Northern Ireland was also badly hit.
Train operators again warned customers to ‘avoid travel’ or ‘do not travel’ with services paralysed by gale-force winds and lashing rain following days of disruption due to Storms Dudley last Wednesday and Eunice last Friday.
The threat from Franklin comes after huge waves were seen crashing onto coastal areas, homes were destroyed by strong winds, and emergency services deployed flood defences along swelling riverbanks over the weekend.
National Rail has warned anyone making essential journeys once services resume today to expect ‘major disruption’ to routes ‘across most of Great Britain’ – including cancellations, delays and slower speeds onboard.
The Met Office said that the South of England was particularly hard hit by stormy weather during rush hour this morning, while train operator Northern issued a ‘do not travel’ alert to passengers due to the impact of storms.
National Rail said the first services on most UK train routes were cancelled, with a reduced timetable for today, alternative travel unavailable and further disruption expected. One of the worst affected stations was Rotherham which police said ‘resembles the canals of Venice’ as South Yorkshire was particularly badly affected by flooding.
Transport for London said the London Overground was suspended between Stratford and Richmond, Stratford and Clapham Junction, Romford and Upminster, and Sydenham and West Croydon due to storm-related damage.
On the roads, several major bridges were closed this morning, including the M48 Severn Bridge connecting England and Wales, and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing between Kent and Essex.
Some 4,500 homes remained without power in West Sussex today, with local Conservative MP Mims Davies saying many had now been cut off for three days and – combined with problems on the trains – it ‘doesn’t make for much of a happy half term for many’. She added that it was ‘absolutely grim’ for those without electricity or heating.
High winds from Storm Franklin are complicating the recovery efforts of engineers – while some homes in Surrey were without water supply today, with Thames Water listing the affected postcodes as GU5, GU6, RH5 and RH12.
Storm Franklin’s highest gust of 87mph was at the Needles on the Isle of Wight overnight, while the highest gust today was 79mph in North Wales. The highest during Eunice on Friday was 122mph – a record high for England.
London Zoo, which was among the dozens of major attractions which closed last Friday, reopened over the weekend but said ‘some of our animals will remain inside’ today amid the continuing strong winds in the capital.
Cars stuck in floodwater as Belper in Derbyshire is swamped this morning amid the arrival of Storm Franklin overnight
Flooding at Rotherham station in South Yorkshire today which British Transport Police said ‘resembles the canals of Venice’
An easyJet aircraft arriving from Belfast lands in strong winds at Leeds Bradford Airport in West Yorkshire this morning
A flooded road near Leeds in West Yorkshire this morning in the wake of Storm Franklin which hit overnight
Huge waves hitting the sea wall at Porthcawl in Bridgend, South Wales, this morning after Storm Franklin moved in overnight
Damage to the white roof covering at The O2 in London is seen today, three days after the damage caused by Storm Eunice
Severe flooding in Belper in Derbyshire this morning after Storm Franklin swept in amid a severe weather warning for wind
Fallen trees block a bus and other vehicles from passing this morning in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, as the storm hits
Flooding in a park at Didsbury in Greater Manchester this morning as more than 450 flood alerts or warnings remain in place
A landslide blocking the line between Upper Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy in Scotland today following the severe weather
A car damaged by a fallen tree after high winds and wet weather in Liverpool this morning after Storm Franklin arrived
A flooded road near Leeds in West Yorkshire this morning in the wake of Storm Franklin which hit overnight
A tree which has fallen across a road and into the grounds of the Moston Children’s Centre in Greater Manchester today
A classic car collector’s barn where he keeps his prized motors was destroyed in damage caused by Storm Eunice on Friday
There is severe disruption on many Northern routes, including between Sheffield and Manchester, Scarborough and Hull, York and Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds, Chester and Manchester, and Carlisle and Newcastle.
Northern posted a photograph on social media showing the rail line through Rotherham station flooded to the extent that the tracks are not visible.
Met Office wind warning is in place until 1pm this afternoon
And British Transport Police South Yorkshire tweeted: ‘Rotherham station resembles the canals of Venice! Wind and rain is having an impact on the network this morning with delays and cancellations in place.’
TransPennine Express (TPE) is also strongly urging customers to ‘avoid travel if possible’, particularly those planning to travel north of Preston in Lancashire before 10am this morning.
Speaking last night, TPE operations director Paul Watson said: ‘Due to the impact of Storm Franklin, train services are disrupted along the West Coast Mainline.
‘The safety of our customers and staff is our priority and we are warning customers not to travel between Preston and Edinburgh/Glasgow until after 10am tomorrow [Monday].
‘Anyone planning on travelling by train today or before 10am tomorrow [Monday] can choose to defer their travel or claim a refund.’
The operator said any services which are running are expected to be ‘very busy’.
Great Western Railway (GWR) reiterated the same plea for customers to travel only ‘if absolutely necessary’ as services are expected to be ‘significantly disrupted across the network’ on Monday.
The Environment Agency has issued 185 warnings (in red) where ‘flooding is likely’, two severe flood warnings in Manchester, and 172 alerts (in amber) where ‘flooding is possible’ for the north-western half of the UK, London and the south coast
Some 18 warnings and seven alerts have been issued across the Scottish Borders, Ayrshire, Orkney and the Western Isles by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (left). Natural Resources Wales has issued 27 warnings and 48 alerts (right)
Flooding this morning on the roads in Stockport, Greater Manchester, as one car is left abandoned amid the severe weather
Workmen stand at the floodgates in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, as they check water is flowing into surrounding fields
An aircraft arriving from Dublin at Leeds Bradford Airport in West Yorkshire this morning amid the arrival of Storm Franklin
Damage to property in Barton upon Irwell, Greater Manchester, pictured today after Storm Franklin moved in overnight
The M6 was closed in Lancashire between junction 27 and 28 after high winds caused an HGV to hit a bridge and catch fire
A tree crashed onto a car in Sutton Coldfield last night but fire crews said it was a ‘very lucky escape’ for the two people inside
A car damaged by a fallen tree after high winds and wet weather in Liverpool this morning after Storm Franklin arrived
South Western Railway also urged customers not to travel, warning the weather conditions were ‘likely to hamper efforts to help stranded customers’.
SWR also said Network Rail had cleared more than 50 trees from its network since Friday, but more heavy rain and strong winds on Sunday night caused ‘even more trees to block the lines and further damage to stations and infrastructure’.
It added: ‘With the wind direction expected to change it is very likely that more trees will come down during Storm Franklin, having been weakened over the last two days.’
Train operator Avanti West Coast is ‘strongly advising’ passengers travelling today to ‘delay their journeys until after 10am if they can’ due to severe weather.
It added: ‘Services on our network are subject to speed restrictions, delays and cancellations due to the extreme weather and as a result are very busy.’
National Rail said: ‘Please check before you travel if you plan to use train services today or on Monday. The poor weather conditions may cause flooding, and any trees already weakened by Storm Eunice may fall down.
‘Where conditions worsen, speed restrictions could be put in place to ensure you can travel safely.’
In the North West, stretches of two motorways were closed after incidents during the storm.
National Highways said the M60 in Greater Manchester was closed between junctions 10 and 11 due to an overturned HGV which had come to rest on the central reservation.
North West Motorways Police said no injuries were reported. The M6 was closed in Lancashire between junction 27 and 28 after an HGV hit a bridge and caught fire due to the high winds, according to the local police force.
A post on the Lancs Road Police Twitter account said: ‘High winds caused this HGV to hit a bridge and burst into flames on M6. Driver luckily escaped from cab with help from other motorists and is being assessed at hospital. Long delays both N+S between J27/28.’
And a spokesman for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: ‘By 7am, the fire had been extinguished using four breathing apparatus and three hose reels and the M6 southbound had reopened.
‘The driver of the vehicle was treated by paramedics from North West Ambulance Service and all agencies are working in difficult conditions to reopen the northbound side of the M6.’
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue reported saving a number of people from stranded cars on the A61 at Harewood Bridge, with more reports of roads left impassable due to flash flooding across the region.
Mid Sussex Conservative MP Mims Davies said it was ‘absolutely grim’ for the 4,500 people still without power in West Sussex this morning.
In a series of tweets, she wrote: ‘Good morning @UKPowerNetworks please do all you can to get my #MidSussex constituents back onto power today-many have now moved into a 3rd day without power & heat -its absolutely grim for them & my casework team are doing all they can to advise & help people who are upset & cold.
‘I do recognise you’re all doing the upmost-but there are lights & cones up in central #HaywardsHeath & no sign of anyone there near the outage all weekend-reports of #Staplefield & other #MidSussex parts out still too-I appreciate you’re stretched & been non stop in these storms.’
She then added: ‘It’s a 3rd day for many people & I know @UKPowerNetworks are doing their utmost-people are cold & fed up-this with the trains issue doesn’t make for much of a happy half term for many. Thanks to all for their hard work on the ground doing all they can to fix it-greatly appreciated.’
Environment agencies have issued hundreds of alerts for flooding across the UK, including two rare “severe” warnings where rainfall could also pose a “danger to life” for communities along the River Mersey in Greater Manchester’s East Didsbury and West Didsbury and Northenden.
This came after huge waves were seen crashing on to coastal areas, homes were destroyed by strong winds, and emergency services deployed flood defences along swelling riverbanks on Sunday.
Colossal waves have been captured engulfing Newhaven lighthouse in West Quay, East Sussex, and Porthcawl Lighthouse in Bridgend, South Wales.
The River Don burst its banks in the Sprotbrough area of Doncaster in South Yorkshire last night, and police have warned people to stay away from dangerous ‘fast flowing’ water.
South Yorkshire Police said: ‘We ask people to remain away from the area of Sprotbrough Falls and Sprotbrough Lock in Doncaster, after the River Don burst its banks in this location earlier this evening.
‘Many of the footpaths in this area are presently underwater. The water is fast flowing and poses a risk to people attempting to wade through it. Members of the public are being asked to remain away from the area at this time for their own safety. Thank you.’
Central Sheffield’s flood defences appear to have held, despite fears as the River Don raged through the city last night.
The River Severn has also been threatening to burst its banks, with water creeping towards homes in Ironbridge, Shropshire, and emergency teams have erected flood barriers along some sections of the waterway.
In Derby, firefighters from three locations were called to Wilson Street at 4.15pm yesterday after a roof blew off a terraced house, causing damage to five other properties.
Colossal waves have been captured engulfing Newhaven lighthouse in West Quay, East Sussex, and Porthcawl Lighthouse in Bridgend, Wales.
Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said last week marked the first time three named storms have been recorded within seven days since the storm-naming system began in 2015, with Dudley, Eunice and Franklin.
She added that there will ‘definitely be some impact’ from Storm Franklin today but it is not expected to be ‘as severe’ as Eunice because the strongest winds will be confined to the coast.
Gusts of 60mph to 70mph are predicted to hit inland Northern Ireland in the early hours of this morning, while 80mph speeds are expected on the coast. Gales of up to 60mph are expected to sweep the rest of the nation.
An overturned lorry on the M60 near Trafford Park in Manchester this morning after Storm Franklin moved in overnight
Workmen stand at the floodgates in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, as they check water is flowing into surrounding fields
Damage to property in Barton upon Irwell, Greater Manchester, pictured today after Storm Franklin moved in overnight
A tree crashed onto a car in Sutton Coldfield last night but fire crews said it was a ‘very lucky escape’ for the two people inside
Fallen trees block a car from getting through in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, during the morning rush hour today
Flooding at Rotherham station in South Yorkshire today which has caused major disruption on Northern Rail services
Fallen trees block a bus and other vehicles from passing this morning in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, as the storm hits
An overturned lorry on the M60 near Trafford Park in Manchester this morning after Storm Franklin moved in overnight
Damage to the white roof covering at The O2 in London is seen today, three days after the damage caused by Storm Eunice
Damage to the white roof covering at The O2 in London is seen today, three days after the damage caused by Storm Eunice
Damage to the white roof covering at The O2 in London is seen today, three days after the damage caused by Storm Eunice
Damage to the white roof covering at The O2 in London is seen today, three days after the damage caused by Storm Eunice
As of 10pm yesterday, the Environment Agency had issued two ‘severe’ flood warnings in Didsbury and Northenden in the North West.
O2 will shut until Friday after storm shreds roof
The O2’s roof covering is being repaired after Storm Eunice
The O2 arena will remain closed until Friday after part of the London venue’s roof was ripped off by Storm Eunice.
The venue’s white roof covering is undergoing repairs after parts of it were torn away from supporting ribs by high winds during the storm last Friday. In a statement, the arena said it was ‘not quite looking our best’ after the storm.
It added that a number of upcoming concerts would be rescheduled, with UB40 rescheduled to February 25, Simply Red to March 2 and 3, The Lumineers to March 4, and Davido to March 5. While new dates for rapper Dave’s postponed concerts will be announced within the next 48 hours.
Events at The O2’s smaller venue, The Indigo, are also expected to resume after February 25. ‘The O2 prides itself on being a venue full of entertainment but following Friday’s storm, we’re not quite looking our best,’ a statement from the venue said.
‘We want to continue to provide a safe and secure best-in-class experience for our visitors, so we have made the decision to remain closed until Friday February 25 to give us time to carry out some necessary works on our roof.’
Dave’s gigs were supposed to take place on Monday and Tuesday of next week, but will now take place on an as yet unconfirmed date in the future. The O2 has said that all tickets will remain valid for the new dates.
The O2 has the second highest capacity of any indoor venue in the UK, surpassed only by the Manchester Arena. It was originally built as the Millennium Dome, and used to house an exhibition celebrating the turn of the new millennium.
Katharine Smith, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, urged people to ‘stay away from swollen rivers’ while teams deploy temporary barriers and pumps on the river.
‘We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car,’ she said.
‘Residents close to the River Mersey are being warned to take immediate action and prepare for property flooding.’
Manchester City Council began evacuating affected residents yesterday afternoon in advance of the rising waters.
This morning, Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig said emergency evacuation operations had been stood down in Didsbury, where two severe flood warnings were issued.
She wrote on Twitter: ‘Thankfully after the peak at 4am, emergency evacuation operations on the ground were stood down and we got through the night without any flooding or damage to properties.
‘Thanks again to everyone involved and to the hundreds of residents who were impacted.’
On Friday, Storm Eunice caused what energy providers believe was a record national outage over a 24-hour period, with around 1.4million homes losing power.
Ross Easton, director of external affairs at the Energy Networks Association (ENA), said 56,000 people were still without power yesterday afternoon, and Storm Franklin will hamper recovery efforts today.
Mr Easton said: ‘We’re still making pretty good progress in terms of reconnections, but it’s certainly being hampered by the high winds.’
Giving advice to those facing a fourth day without power, he added: ‘First and foremost, check on friends, family, and neighbours to make sure they’re safe and well, and if you have any concerns or need extra support, call your local network operator.’
The Environment Agency has also issued 185 warnings where ‘flooding is likely’ for locations mainly in the north and west of England, and 172 alerts where ‘flooding is possible’ for the north-western half of the UK, London and the south coast.
Some 18 flood warnings and seven alerts have been issued across the Scottish Borders, Ayrshire, Orkney and the Western Isles by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa).
Natural Resources Wales has issued 27 flood warnings and 48 alerts covering much of the country.
Friday’s winds – which saw gusts hitting 122mph on the Isle of Wight – claimed three lives, toppled chimneys and church spires and shredded part of the roof of London’s O2 Arena, which is due to stay closed until Friday.
Credit: Source link
