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weather: Killer storm with 108mph winds batters UK with TWO MORE
expected in coming days
A
killer storm batters Britain as two more sweep in to inflict further
damage and misery
13
February, 2014
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.
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.
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.
Wind,
rain and snow to 'attack' UK and Ireland on 'Ferocious Friday'
Northern
Ireland to get more snow and ice over coming days
Belfast Telegraph,
13 February, 2014
More
wind, rain and snow is forecast to "attack" the UK and
Ireland on "Ferocious Friday" as communities try to clean
up the trail of destruction left by Atlantic super-storm Darwin.
Northern
Ireland has got off lightly so far compared to the havoc wreaked in
the Republic and in England and Wales, where thousands of homes are
still flooded and without power.
Here,
the severe weather caused Belfast Zoo to shut for gritting, but it
has mainly affected driving conditions including:
In
Co Down, the A2 coastal road between Warrenpoint and Rostrever is to
stay shut for at least three days after it partially collapsed
Ulsterbus
services between Clogher and Omagh, Co Tyrone were cancelled.
The
Met Office is forecasting further snow for higher ground across the
province in the coming days. Most areas will experience more blustery
wintry showers with sunny intervals and overnight frost.
But
the scale of the storm damage in Britain has been described as an
"unparallelled" natural crisis by Army chief Major General
Patrick Sanders, as hundreds of troops continue to help distraught
home owners defend their properties from ever-rising floodwaters.
The
Met Office has issued more than 400 yellow warnings for both the
severe rain and wind going into the weekend, with the former bringing
yet more misery to the “most sensitive” flood-hit areas of Wales
and southern England.
The
River Thames is expected to rise to its highest level in more than 60
years.
80,000
homes remain without power and further travel disruption is expected.
Electrocuted
One
man, believed to be aged in his 70s, died in a suspected
electrocution while attempting to move a tree that had been brought
down by power cables in Chippenham, Wiltshire.
A
lorry driver was taken to hospital after high winds blew over his
vehicle in Bristol, while another received treatment after being
trapped under a fallen tree in Chivenor, Barnstaple, Devon.
Travel
chaos continues with train services cancelled, and at one point all
Virgin trains travelling out of London Euston were suspended. The
train operating company tweeted: "ALL CUSTOMERS TO ABANDON
TRAVEL #UKSTORM."
Seas
were last night beginning to build at Porthleven in Cornwall, where
harbour master Phil Ward said the wind "is almost lifting the
backs of cars".
Prime
Minister David Cameron is today leading talks on Britain's recovery
from one of the wettest winters on record.
Ireland hit
In
the Republic of Ireland about 165,000 homes and businesses remain
without power after the ferocity of the worst storm in 25 year took
many counties by surprise.
Hurricane-strength
gales tore roofs from buildings; forced schools and workplaces into
lockdown; toppled hundreds of trees and cut electricity to more than
260,000 homes.
Darwin
made landfall in Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Cork soon after 6am but
then spiralled north towards Kilkenny, Waterford and Wexford, carving
a trail of destruction.
Local
authorities scrambled to react, and a major emergency was declared in
Kilkenny after more than two dozen weather-related incidents.
Across
the country, violent winds brought down power lines; ripped apart
homes; and forced the temporary closure of Shannon and Cork airports.
The
storm overturned trucks and closed the M8 Dublin-Cork motorway; left
the rail network paralysed; and resulted in more than a dozen cars
being crushed by fallen trees.
Northern
Ireland Electricity (NIE) has sent 70 staff to the south to help
repair its storm-damaged electricity network.
New storm front
Today,
homeowners and business owners are picking up the pieces, with
structural damage on a scale not seen since the Christmas storm of
1998.
A
yellow warning for snow and ice is in place for the whole country and
a gale warning continues on all Irish coastal waters and the Irish
Sea.
Met
Eireann is now tracking another storm front which could hit Ireland
from tomorrow, bringing the threat of further misery and
hampering the nationwide repair efforts.
A
Met Eireann spokesman said: “In terms of destruction it's probably
the worst we've seen in a while.
“Today
our highest winds were around 86 knots (160kph), so we're just under
record territory for the south and west.
“This
is the end of a month of storms so structures can already be
loosened. The storm over Christmas 1998 might be the last time we've
had anything quite as widespread, or caused as much damage.”
Hospitals
in Limerick and Cork were dealing with at least 30 cases of
weather-related injuries and the roads were littered with crashes and
obstructions from flooding and fallen trees.
Escaped death
In
Laois, a mother, grandmother and three young children escaped death
when a large tree fell on their car as they made their way home.
In
Limerick, student Jill Holmes had a miraculous escape when winds
ripped through her fourth-storey, top-floor apartment, blasting off a
patio door and a chunk of her kitchen.
"I
was just standing in the kitchen when I saw the door was coming ajar
and it was coming off its hinges," she said.
"I
just stepped away and it flew (out) on to the street. I tried to move
everything away from the door. I hope that no-one got hurt there on
the street."
A
mini-tornado struck Roscommon General Hospital with one car being
crushed by a fallen tree.
An
evacuation of an entire floor at Ennis General Hospital in Clare was
prompted after the staff and patients complained of hearing loud
noises from the roof.
In
Shannon, 150kph winds lifted an unoccupied commuter plane off the
tarmac before it smashed to the ground, collapsing its undercarriage
and leaving the aircraft resting on its left wing tip.
Armed forces battle elements
As
Britons continue to suffer at the hands of extreme weather, the
nation's armed forces have been drafted in across the country to help
deal with the ongoing crisis.
More
than 2,000 personnel from the army, navy and RAF have been committed
to tasks, with thousands more at a state of "high readiness",
the Ministry of Defence said.
A
spokeswoman said personnel are in various silver and gold command
headquarters across flood-affected areas, dealing with requests for
help.
In
the Thames Valley area, around 100 troops from 1st Battalion The
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers are in Wraysbury, Berkshire, while more
than 300 are in Windsor, Datchet and Chertsey in Surrey.
They
are conducting a variety of tasks including filling and distributing
sandbags, erecting barriers, helping residents, examining the
condition of existing flood defences and general duties helping the
emergency services.
In
Reading, more than 30 people from 9 Transport Logistics Regiment are
building a sandbag wall at Southcote Mill, the spokeswoman said.
In
Surrey, more than 360 military personnel from 2 Royal Gurkha Rifles,
1st Battalion Royal Welsh and people from both 19 and 47 Regiment
Royal Artillery have been helping with the relief effort.
"Other
key military taskings over the last 24 hours have included completion
of a sandbag wall to help defend Desborough Island, deploying a flood
barrier at Chertsey Bridge Road and the ongoing assessment and
protection of Critical National Infrastructure assets," the
spokeswoman said.
"In
addition, the army has been involved in assisting and evacuating
vulnerable residents in the area."
In
Croydon and Kenley, army personnel have been sandbagging and
constructing flood defences, focusing on protecting a water
chlorination plant which is at risk of flooding, while at Chieveley
in Berkshire, 80 RAF personnel are working to fill sandbags on behalf
of the Environment Agency.
Around
100 Royal Marines are continuing to work in the Somerset Levels,
moving and filling sandbags; filling "Hesco" barriers,
relocating pumps and providing general support to the local
authorities and emergency services, the MoD said.
And
there is also a military presence in Winchester, Hampshire, where
help is being given to people whose homes have been affected by
flooding.
The
army's Engineering Dive Team is also on hand to help with removing
blockages from water courses, the MoD said.
Sandbag charges
Ministers
in England have condemned councils charging residents in flood-hit
areas for sandbags, saying there is "absolutely no reason"
for them to do so.
Christchurch
Borough Council in Dorset has been asking locals to pay £30 for four
sandbags.
A
spokesman said: "The situation is that if an emergency is called
then we will provide sandbags free of charge.
"We
cannot provide them just because people are concerned about things...
currently there are no alerts."
Resident
Steve Richards told the Bournemouth Echo: "My brother bought 50
at an incredibly high cost but 50 sandbags goes nowhere.
"We
feel so helpless, pleading for help and no-one's giving it, yet you
switch on the television and the Prime Minister is pledging that
no-one will be left vulnerable and money's no object."
Up
until the end of last week Tewkesbury Borough Council was issuing
free bags to local people - but asking them to pay for sand to go in
them.
A
spokeswoman said it had now decided to be "flexible" about
the policy. "In a situation like this we are issuing sandbags to
anybody that needs them," she added.
Local
Government minister Brandon Lewis said: "There is absolutely no
reason for any councils to be charging residents for sandbags.
Councils are able to claim any costs for their emergency response to
flooding back from Government under the Bellwin scheme.
"We
have spoken to every Local Authority in the country and are confident
that there are more than enough supplies to meet local needs, with
volunteers and military support on the ground to make them ready.
"We
are able to supply up to 10,000 sandbags a day, and councils such as
Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire have been coming to the aid of
neighbouring areas."
Government
sources said no council had reported any problems obtaining sandbags,
and there were 25,000 filled and ready to be deployed.
They
insisted local authorities would be able to claim back any cost
through the
Government's Bellwin scheme, which provides assistance in
emergencies.
Flood sightseeing
People
have been urged to steer clear of "flood sightseeing" after
it emerged that drivers hoping to get a glimpse of deluged
communities were causing additional damage to flood-hit homes.
Concerns
have been raised that those driving through submerged streets in 4x4s
are creating waves of water which is causing extra damage to
properties.
Thames
Valley Police last night issued three anti-social driving notices to
motorists in flood-hit communities.
The
force issued the warning after residents in the flood-stricken
community of Datchet, near Windsor, raised concerns.
Issuing
advice on YouTube, Inspector Mark Millward said: "I attended a
meeting at the community centre in Datchet last night and one of the
main concerns from the residents there was about sightseers that are
coming down to see the flooding and are driving through it in their
4x4s which is obviously causing waves of water into premises which
causes additional damage.
"So
we took a proactive approach to it last night. We stopped four
vehicles that were trying to go through it and a number of them were
served notices for antisocial behaviour use of vehicles.
"This
is a message to drivers: don't go down there. Don't go driving
through the water because you are causing damage to property and we
will be following it up with our police powers."
Dutch pumps
Two
high-volume pumps imported from the Netherlands have started work to
try and reduce the water levels on the flooded Somerset Levels.
The
Dutch equipment has been installed at Dunball, north of Bridgwater,
to pump water from the most saturated parts of the Levels into the
River Perrett and out to sea.
The
Environment Agency (EA) said the scheme would reduce the flood risk
in the villages of Northmoor and Saltmoor by reducing the water
levels on the River Tone.
Some
parts of the Levels have been flooded since Christmas and the rising
water has caused dozens of homes to flood, roads closed, villages cut
off and disrupted rail services.
Two
of the 13 high-capacity Dutch pumps have been located at Dunball
while others have been installed in Beerwall.
It
total the EA has 96 pumps in use and is currently pumping from the
Levels enough water a day to fill Wembley Stadium three times.
But
it has warned there is a continued high risk of flooding into the
weekend.
Meanwhile,
some local residents have criticised the authorities' response to the
flooding crisis.
Around
300 members of the public attended a public meeting in Huntworth last
night to air their concerns at the ongoing floods on the Levels -
accusing the EA of sacrificing villages to prevent the flood water
reaching Bridgwater.
The
EA has constructed a temporary earth bank between the villages of
Moorland and Huntworth to try to hold water back from the town, where
around 1,000 homes on the outskirts are at risk of flooding.
Residents
in the village of Westonzoyland fear their homes could be flooded
because water is being pumped into the King's Sedgemoor Drain relief
channel close to their properties in order to protect Bridgwater.
But
the EA said additional flood defence measures are being installed to
make sure that does not happen.
"There
has been some concern raised about a number of locations in that
relief channel, such as Aller Drove and Westonzoyland," Jim
Flory, area environment manager, said.
"The
key thing to emphasise by releasing water from the River Parrett into
the River Sowy is a controlled process and we do it by opening and
shutting the sluice gates.
"We
will be gradually opening it very incrementally and very carefully
monitor it to make sure that the additional pumps we have put in are
bringing the water through and not causing additional problems
elsewhere.
"To
make sure we are being completely secure in what we are doing we have
put in some additional flood defences around Aller Drove and parts of
Westonzoyland."
Meanwhile,
the leader of Somerset County Council is backing the call by the
Prime Minister for utility companies to do their bit to help victims
of flooding.
Councillor
John Osman said: "It was clear from talking to people in
Somerset who have been directly affected by the flooding, and
particularly Flooding on the Levels Action Group (Flag), that this
was a really good idea.
"I've
heard stories that some people who have been forced out of their
homes have faced hefty bills or have been asked to pay hundreds of
pounds to suspend a service. That is not fair.
"As
a council we took the lead by offering to waive the county council
part of homeowners' council tax bill for everyone stranded or unable
to live at home.
"We
called on other councils and businesses to follow suit, and I'm
delighted to hear that our Prime Minister feels the same."
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