UK weather forecast – ‘Storm of the CENTURY’ Ciara sparks tornado alert, shuts M11 and grounds flights
STORM Ciara was today named the “storm of the century” as 90mph gale winds swept the country – sparking tornado warnings, blackouts and grounding flights.
The Met Office upgraded its Amber ‘severe’ weather alert as they warned there is a danger to life, with the extreme rain and wind even closing the M11.
Brits have today battened down the hatches as heavy rain lashed the country and gale winds, causing flash flooding and sending debris flying.
So far today, gusts of 93mph have been recorded in Aberdaron, Wales, while 86mph was recorded at Manchester Airport.
The M11 has been shut in both directions in Cambridgeshire amid fears an airport hangar’s damaged roof will be blown onto the lanes.
It is closed at Duxford airfield, which is also home to IWM Duxford, between junctions 9 and 10.
Met Office forecaster Helen Roberts said today: “In terms of area, this is probably the biggest storm this century. I have not seen amber warnings on this scale, across all of Wales and much of England.
“The yellow wind warnings cover the whole of the UK.”
What you need to know…
- Amber wind and rain warnings are in place for much of the country, with buildings damaged, power cuts and debris sent flying
- Isolated tornadoes could develop due to the chaotic weather system, Torro warned overnight
- Wind gusts of up to 90mph are battering the country
- 234 flood warnings are in place while 28ft high waves could hit the coast
- M11 closed due to concern around heavy debris
- Nearly 200 flights in and out of Europe cancelled or delayed
- Rail companies have urged passengers not to travel
- Man City vs West Ham cancelled due to wild weather
- The London Winter Run 10km event, organised for 2,500 runners, has been cancelled
And she warned it’s not over yet, saying: “There is still quite a while to go yet and there is the potential to get similar or even higher gusts.
“It’s not going to calm down significantly until later on.”
Up to six inches (15cm) of snow is expected on Monday and Tuesday, threatening travel disruption, power cuts and other problems.
According to Torro, the UK’s tornado and storm research organisation, the wild weather could see “one or two fast-moving” tornadoes develop.
The weather bomb has already sparked travel chaos with nearly 200 flights in and out of Europe, as well as dozens to and from UK airports, cancelled or delayed.
The extreme weather has also seen parts of the UK lashed with rain, with Wet Sleddale Reservoir in Cumbria recording 151.8mm in the 24 hours up to 8am today – the same amount they would receive in just a month.
Travellers leaving Gatwick are facing 41 delays and one cancellation, while Heathrow has 37 flight delays and further three cancellations.
Flights are also disrupted in and out of Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool airports.
But the winds have also seen improved travel in one aspect, with a British Airways flight blown across the Atlantic in less than five hours.
The BA plane managed to fly from New York to London Heathrow in four hours and 57 minutes – a trip that normally takes about eight hours.
TRAVEL CHAOS
It isn’t just planes being affected by Storm Ciara – the roads, ferries and trains are also going to be battered.
“It’s Black Sunday for travel,” said RAC spokesman Simon Williams.
“More road accidents are expected due to debris and vehicles being blown off course.”
In one incident, firefighters in Blackpool had to rescue a car stuck in deep floodwaters.
Another car was hit by a falling tree with fire fighters called in to cut the motorist out.
In Stanmore, north west London, a crane was even snapped in half due to the gale winds.
Meanwhile, a surfer was rescued from rough seas off the coast of Hastings, East Sussex, after losing his board.
And the heavy gusts even blew out the glass at East Croydon station, forcing authorities to close the area.
The firms which have issued “do not travel” warnings are Gatwick Express, Grand Central, Great Northern, Hull Trains, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and TransPennine Express.
The other affected lines are: Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, Island Line, London Northwestern Railway, London Overground, Merseyrail, Northern, ScotRail, South Western Railway, Stansted Express, TfL Rail, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway.
Passengers travelling on Sunday and Monday morning are also urged to check for updates before they travel.
And the wild weather has even affected the Queen.
The 93-year-old monarch will not head to her usual church service due to the high winds.
Forecasters said Ciara will be more powerful than any tempest since the Met Office began naming storms in 2015 – and the strongest storm for seven years, since 2013, which saw the St Jude’s Day storm and Christmas gale chaos.
Storm Ciara is strengthening as its air pressure plunges by 24 milibars in 24 hours to 12noon, qualifying it as a ‘weather bomb’.
Sky News forecaster Chris England said: “It’s likely Ciara will be the most intense storm since 2013.”
Weather maps show the 1,000-mile wide storm being catapulted across the Atlantic, bringing 30ft waves to South-West and North-West coasts and 50ft waves offshore.
Among a string of incidents, 150 homes were without electricity in Kegworth, Leics, 109 in Moreton in the Marsh, Glos, and 106 in Gloucester.
In Porthleven, Cornwall, it’s feared the waves will rival the storms of 2014 when dramatic photos were taken of the sea ‘overwhelming’ the ancient church on the harbour front facing out into the Atlantic.
Rain warnings are in place on Sunday for south and north Wales, Cumbria and Lancashire, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland with up to 80mm of rain (3.1 inches) expected.
The average rainfall in South Wales for the whole of February is 85mm (3.3 inches).
ROYAL PARKS CLOSED
London’s major parks including Hyde Park, Richmond Park, Kensington Gardens and Green Park will be closed on Sunday due to safety concerns over Storm Ciara.
Bushy Park, The Green Park, Greenwich Park, The Regent’s Park & Primrose Hill, Richmond Park and St James’s Park will also be shut.
The Royal Parks said it was concerned about its “significant population of ancient and veteran trees that are vulnerable to high winds,” and has taken this rare measure to protect public safety.
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In addition, Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens will be closed.
All parks are due to reopen on Monday.
Gales will continue as the South sees its first snow and sleet flurries of winter on Monday and Tuesday with an inch of snow at low levels in Scotland.