GET OUT NOW! UK weather forecast – Homes evacuated in Storm Ciara as ‘RED ALERT’ issued after 97mph ‘Storm of the Century’ hits

April Roach Brittany Vonow 9 Feb 2020, 16:28 Updated: 9 Feb 2020, 17:38

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EVACUATIONS are happening as “Storm of the Century” Ciara wreaks havoc sparking blackouts, flooding, causing a hotel to collapse and grounding flights with 97mph gales today.

People were rescued from their homes by boat after parts of Lancashire were flooded as Storm Ciara sweeps across the country.

A train full of passengers crashed into a tree in Swanley, Kent after it blew onto tracks.

No-one was injured but the incident sparked major delays.

Several properties in Whalley – which was hit by the Boxing Day floods in 2015 – have been evacuated as well as homes in Blackpool.

Residents in Whalley were evacuated in inflatable boats as flood water reached more than 18ins (45cm), while several cars were submerged.

People were taken to Whalley and Billington Brass Band Working Men’s Club.

Blackpool Council said flooded properties in Queen Victoria Road were evacuated and about 15 people were being looked after in an emergency rest centre.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s chief fire officer Justin Johnston said a major incident had been declared and urged people not to travel unless “absolutely necessary”.

Meanwhile part of a hotel in Scotland collapsed into the water as Storm Ciara battered the town of Hawick in the Borders with huge gusts and heavy rainfall.

A number of the hotel’s guests and staff were seen spilling onto the street as emergency services worked to evacuate the building before the devastation.

A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: “At around 9.30am, police in Hawick were made aware of structural damage to the Bridge House Guest House. Officers attended and assisted the fire service at the scene.

“The building has been evacuated and there has been no injuries.”

What you need to know…

Amber wind and rain warnings are in place for much of the country, with buildings damaged, 33,000 homes left without power and debris sent flying

Isolated tornadoes could develop due to the chaotic weather system, Torro warned overnight

The highest wind speed of the day has been recorded at The Needles off the Isle of Wight with gusts of 97mph, the Met Office said

Gusts of 93 miles per hour were recorded in Aberdaron, a village at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula, in north Wales, while Cumbria saw 151.8mm of rain in 24 hours

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

There are also more than 200 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required, and more than 177 alerts indicating flooding is possible

Man City vs West Ham cancelled due to wild weather

The London Winter Run 10km event, organised for 2,500 runners, has been cancelled

Elsewhere red “danger to life” warning for severe flooding has been issued for the River Nidd at Pateley Bridge in North Yorkshire.

And in Bury, evacuations are “imminent” as the River Irwell burst its banks.

Bury Councillor Tamoor Tariq said it is “paramount” those in the affected areas take precautions.

He said: “They haven’t started yet, the council are currently co-ordinating their plans.

“We are getting sandbags as things are getting worse. I don’t have an exact time frame, but it is imminent. Ramsbottom is affected too.

Brits have today battened down the hatches as heavy rain and gale winds lashed the country, causing flash flooding and sending debris flying with 33,000 homes left without power.

The highest wind speed of the day has been recorded at The Needles off the Isle of Wight with gusts of 97mph, the Met Office said

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.

The town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in Cumbria was hit by severe flooding as the River Eden burst its banks, with residents battling to protect their homes.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service urged people not to drive through floodwater after they rescued a number of motorists.

There are also more than 200 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action is required, and more than 177 alerts indicating flooding is possible.

Three people were injured after part of a pub roof collapsed in Perth last night and Bedfordshire police said emergency services were called to Flitwick today after a tree fell onto a car.

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.”

According to Torro, the UK’s tornado and storm research organisation, the wild weather could see “one or two fast-moving” tornadoes develop.

And Ms Roberts warned it’s not over yet, with a risk of hail.

She said: “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.

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.

Storm Ciara also disrupted Sunday’s sporting programme, as horse racing, rugby union, rugby league and football fixtures, including the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham in Manchester, were all postponed.

A trampoline blown onto train tracks in Chelsfield, south London, disrupted rail services from the South East into the capital.

And a North Wales Twitter user shared footage of rough seas flooding roads and bringing water to his front door on Tremadoc Bay in Criccieth, Gwynedd.

Gethin Jones, 58, a company director said: “This is quite an exceptional storm and I haven’t seen wind this strong for quite a few years.”

Rail authorities have pleaded with commuters to avoid travel where possible.

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

Storm Ciara has also caused chaos on the roads.

“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.

In Stanmore, north west London, a crane was even snapped in half due to the gale winds.

One witness said: “[It] looks like it’s made of spaghetti. It’s lucky it wasn’t during the week, as it’s a very busy, big development.”

Meanwhile, a surfer was rescued from rough seas off the coast of Hastings, East Sussex, after losing his board.

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Hurricane-force winds pound UK and Europe, upend travel

SHEILA NORMAN-CULP Associated Press•February 9, 2020

LONDON (AP) — Storm Ciara battered the U.K. and northern Europe with hurricane-force winds and heavy rains Sunday, halting flights and trains and producing heaving seas that closed down ports. Soccer games, farmers’ markets and cultural events were canceled as authorities urged millions of people to stay indoors, away from falling tree branches.

Named by the U.K. Met Office weather agency, the storm brought massive gusts that hit 93 mph (150 kph) at the northern Welsh village of Aberdaron and 86 mph (138 kph) at the Welsh town of Capel Curig. A British Airways plane is thought to have made the fastest ever flight by a conventional airliner from New York to London.

The fierce winds propelled a Boeing 747-436 to make the 3,500-mile transatlantic journey from New York to London in just 4 hours and 56 minutes, landing 102 minutes early and reaching a top speed of 825 mph (1,327 kph), according to flight tracking website Flightradar24. Two Virgin Airlines flights also roared across the Atlantic, with all three smashing the previous subsonic New York-to-London record of 5 hours and 13 minutes, Flightradar24 reported.

Storm surges ate away at beaches and pounded rock cliffs and cement docks. The Met Office issued 190 emergency flood warnings and urged people not to try to drive through flooded roads. Residents in the town of Appleby-in-Westmorland in northwest England battled to protect their homes amid severe flooding as the River Eden burst its banks.

Three people were injured after a pub roof partially collapsed Saturday evening in the city of Perth in central Scotland.

At least 10 rail companies in Britain sent out “do not travel” warnings, while nearly 20 others told passengers to expect extensive delays. The strong winds damaged electrical wires and littered train tracks with broken tree limbs and other debris, including a family trampoline.

London’s Heathrow Airport and several airlines consolidated flights Sunday to reduce the number cancelled by heavy winds. British Airways offered to rebook customers for domestic and European flights out of Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports. Virgin Airlines canceled some flights.

Lufthansa airlines said there would be numerous cancellations and delays beginning Sunday afternoon and running until at least Tuesday morning. The airline plans to keep operating long-haul flights at its main Frankfurt hub. Eurowings, a budget subsidiary of Lufthansa, canceled most flights for the duration of the storm.

Brussels Airport also saw delays or cancellations.

Two huge ports on either side of the English Channel, Dover in England and Calais in France, shut down operations amid high waves. Ferries were canceled across the region, including in the turbulent Irish Sea and North Sea.

The Humber Bridge in northern England also shut down, a move its website said was only the second time the massive bridge had been entirely closed.

Breaking with her usual Sunday routine, Queen Elizabeth II did not attend church in Sandringham due to high winds.

A cow was spotted on a main highway in southern England after high winds blew down fences.

Adding to the weather woes, heavy snow was predicted for Monday in some parts of the U.K.

In Ireland, power was knocked to an estimated 10,000 homes, farms and businesses. National weather agency Met Eireann warned that a combination of high tides, high seas and stormy conditions had created a significant risk of coastal flooding, particularly in the west and northwest.

Fierce winds knocked out electricity in northern France as well. Paris authorities sent out a warning to residents and tourists alike to stay indoors for their own safety. Parks and cemeteries in the city of Lille and nearby towns shut down as strong winds cracked heavy branches. Open-air markets closed early.

Luxembourg and the German city of Cologne announced that all school children could stay home Monday to avoid travelling under dangerous conditions.

In Germany, where the storm is known as “Sabine,” national railway operator Deutsche Bahn canceled long-distance trains to destinations most at risk, including Emden and Norddeich in Germany’s northwestern corner, the northern city of Kiel and the North Sea island of Sylt.

“We have learned from previous storms that it’s better not to have trains travel into critical regions in the first place,” Deutsche Bahn spokesman Achim Stauss said. “What we want to avoid is trains getting stuck between stations.”

Teams of railway employees fanned out with chainsaws to remove any fallen trees blocking the tracks.

In Denmark, meteorologists warned about possible hurricane-force winds coming late Sunday, and flights were canceled out of Copenhagen. Danish authorities warned motorists not to cross large bridges, including the Great Belt Bridge that links eastern and western parts of Denmark.

The storm was also expected to smash into southern Norway’s coast and hit southern and western parts of Sweden.

In the world of sports, dozens of soccer games, horse races, rugby matches and other events were called off, including the Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham. A 10-K run in London that was expected to draw 25,000 participants was also canceled.

The Dutch football association called off all matches Sunday in the top-flight league due to safety concerns, as did Belgium’s top two soccer leagues, the Jupiler Pro League and Proximus League. A German soccer league match between title challenger Borussia Moenchengladbach and Cologne was also put off.

Yet in the Netherlands, an intrepid band of cyclists made the most of the wild conditions to take part in the Dutch Headwind Cycling Championships.

Using only basic bikes without gears, lightweight frames or drop handlebars, contestants rode a timed 8.5-kilometer (5.3-mile) course along the coast of southern Zeeland province. Blasted by winds, blinded by blowing sand from nearby beaches, the cyclists struggled to stay upright.

“I survived, but it’s very tough,” said Hans Deting, 56, his right hand dripping with blood after being blown off his bike.

“This is a bucket list thing,” rider Edwin van Gaalen explained, as he leaned on his handlebars, gasping for breath after finishing.

Ultimately, the gale-force winds became too strong even for this macho event. Organizers brought the race to an early end after 250 of the 300 riders had finished.