Deadly Storm Batters Southern U.K.

Britain’s deadly storm unleashes wind gust of 159km/h

The strongest storm in a decade to hit U.K. battered the southern regions early Monday, uprooting scores of trees, cutting power lines and blocking roads and railroad tracks.

A wind gust of 159km/h (99mph ) was recorded at Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight, at 05:00 GMT on Monday, Britain’s Met Office reported.

Up to  third of a million homes lost power, and two reactors in Dungeness nuclear power station were automatically shut down after power to the plant was cut off.

Roads and railroad tracks were blocked by scores of fallen trees severely disrupting travel plans for millions of commuters.

Authorities issued at least a dozen flood warnings in southwest England, East Anglia and the Midlands, as well as132 flood alerts across England and Wales.

• The storm has claimed at least two lives.
• At least 130 flights were cancelled at London’s Heathrow airport.
• London’s both Heathrow  and Gatwick airports have warned of further flight delays and cancellations.
• The damage was “worse than expected,” said UK’s Network Rail.

“While conditions were as forecast during the early part of the morning, the damage caused by the storm has been more severe than expected as it has tracked eastwards to the north of London and across to East Anglia,” said Network Rail, the owner-operator of most of the rail infrastructure in  Britain.

“As a result, the West Coast, East Coast and Midland main lines are all currently blocked at their southern ends as a result of fallen trees and damage to power lines and all services are currently suspended on the Anglia route, where the storm is currently.”

A fallen tree ruptured a gas main, leading to a gas explosion in Hounslow, west London. The London Fire Brigade said three houses had collapsed and two others damaged following the explosion. Photo credit London Fire Brigade.

Related Links

• Severe Weather Warning Issued for South of England  on October 24, 2013