Brits told to take ‘immediate action’ with 61 flood warnings in place as downpours, 65mph gales and polar vortex snow bomb wreak havoc across the UK
BRITAIN has been hit by floods, 65mph gales and polar vortex snow as Storm Hannah wreaks havoc across the country.
The Met Office has issued 61 flood warnings, urging Brits to take ‘immediate action’.
82 areas have been issued flood alerts, with forecasters warning locals to be prepared.
Areas affected by the warnings include the Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire, Lancashire, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Trowbridge, Derby, Huddersfield, Exmoor and Exeter.
Severe flooding has already hit North Wales and the banks of the river Conwy burst earlier today.
The flooding has caused devastation for businesses, including National Trust owned Tu Hwnt i’r Bont Tearoom, which is now standing in 3 ft of water.
Ice, snow and wind warnings are now firmly in place for the next 24 hours with up to six inches of the white stuff expected to fall across the north of Britain.
The huge weather system – shown blowing to Britain on a satellite image – has been dubbed the “Beast from the West” by The Weather Outlook.
Ex-BBC and Met Office forecaster John Hammond of Weathertrending said: “The Polar Vortex is strong so the jet stream is in rude health.
“A strong Polar Vortex favours a stronger jet stream, which is when stormy weather tends to occur.”
A Met Office yellow warning for snow is in place until Saturday night for much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north east of England, while wind and rain are forecast for Wales with high winds expected on the south coast.
And motorists have been warned to drive carefully as the mix of sleet and snow becomes “wet and clingy”, forecasters warned.
Heavy downpours have seen the M66 motorway closed in both directions near junction 1 Ramsbottom in Bury, Greater Manchester, with 23 flood warnings currently in place.
An “increased likelihood” of accidents and injuries have been warned of as patches of ice cover roads across the country while wind gusts of 65mph have been forecast.
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One hundred snowploughs and 1,000 gritters – 500 in northern England and 500 in Scotland – are on standby as the wintry weather descends from the coast of Ireland.
Police Scotland issued a warning to motorists as ice warnings are expected to remain in place into Sunday.
Met Office meteorologist Luke Miall said snow was expected to blanket much of the north.
He said: “It’s mainly higher ground but that will affect some of the routes that travel across the Highlands and central parts of Scotland.
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“The other warning we have in force is for wind and that covers pretty much everywhere from north-west England down through Wales and then southern counties of England including London.
“Here we will see some pretty strong winds through the day gusting 45mph to 55mph quite widely within that area.”
Temperatures will vary throughout the UK from around 12C to 13C in the south while some areas of Scotland will struggle to get above freezing, Mr Miall said.