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Windy weather batters south of UK as north gets snow warning Travellers escape despite heavy rain and strong winds in south, and snow in north
(about 1 hour later)
Rail passengers and motorists are facing potentially difficult journeys as the remains of a strong weather system batter the UK with heavy rain and strong winds. Rail and road travellers have seemingly escaped significant disruption despite the south of the country being battered overnight with heavy rain and strong winds, with snow and ice further north.
Drivers in Scotland, north Wales and northern England were also being warned to take extra care due to the possibility of ice on roads. The day began with the bulk of the country covered by a pair of Met Office yellow weather warnings. In the south and east people were cautioned about high winds, with 90mph recorded at Needles Battery on the west coast of the Isle of Wight overnight and gusts of 60mph elsewhere.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for snow, ice and slippery roads across most of the north of the country, with a separate warning about high winds over the south and east. A separate yellow warning for snow, ice and slippery roads was in place for most of the north of the country.
Overnight, a top wind speed of 90mph was recorded at Needles Battery on the west coast of the Isle of Wight, with gusts of 60mph recorded elsewhere. However, conditions were due to ease during Friday morning. However, these were both lifted early in the morning and, despite worries about potentially widespread delays to travel, most roads and rail services escaped unaffected.
Rail operators said they were preparing for disruptions. South West Trains said certain services could run slowly, or be cancelled at short notice. It sent out “route proving” trains, empty services that check lines, and had teams with chainsaws on hand to clear debris blown on to the tracks.
South West Trains said it hoped to run a normal timetable, but warned certain services could run slowly, or be cancelled at short notice. It was sending out “route proving” trains, empty services that check lines, and had teams with chainsaws on hand to clear debris blown on to the tracks. Routes most likely to be affected were from Weymouth to Southampton, Exeter to Salisbury, and Southampton to Portsmouth.
National Rail said passengers in the south of England should check services before travelling, but reported no immediate significant disruption.National Rail said passengers in the south of England should check services before travelling, but reported no immediate significant disruption.
The windy weather is separate to the “weather bomb” of gales and lightning strikes that left thousands of homes without electricity on Thursday. At the peak of those problems, about 30,000 homes lost electricity, while a further 27,000 were cut off by a lightning strike. The worst-affected areas were the Western Isles and Skye. The south-west was most affected by road disruption, but even here incidents were relatively rare. Devon and Cornwall police reported flooding on the A377 near Barnstaple, and three instances of fallen trees or other wind debris blocking roads. However, the bulk of these were cleared by about 9am.
The Met Office warning for the north of the UK cautioned people to be aware of frequent showers of sleet and snow, especially on higher ground, with up to 10cm settling at the highest points. While this was due to ease during the day, icy patches could develop on roads. There were delays to some ferry crossings at Dover, in Kent, due to high winds, port officials said, but the terminal was operating normally. Winds in the English Channel were gusting to force 10, with sea conditions described as “very rough”.
A port spokesman said: “Due to the current high volumes of seasonal traffic and the potential disruption, there may be queues on the approach roads to the Port of Dover.”
The windy weather was separate to the “weather bomb” of gales and lightning strikes that left thousands of homes without electricity on Thursday. At the peak of those problems, about 30,000 homes lost electricity, while a further 27,000 were cut off by a lightning strike. The worst-affected areas were the Western Isles and Skye.
The Met Office warning for the north of the UK cautioned people to be aware of frequent showers of sleet and snow, especially on higher ground, with up to 10cm settling at the highest points, and the possibility of icy patches on roads.