Storm Francis left a trail of devastation in its wake today after battering Britain with record-breaking wind gusts of more than 80mph and six weeks’ worth of rain that brought travel chaos and flooded hundreds of homes.
Rescue teams resumed two separate search operations in Cardiff today following reports of a man and canoeist getting into difficulty in the swollen River Taff, after both missions were suspended last night.
Record high winds for August in areas downed trees and power lines, while heavy rain also brought misery to homeowners, with properties in parts of South Wales and Northern Ireland under water and cars submerged.
There were 36 flood alerts and five warnings in place for England, as well as 17 for Wales and 11 in Scotland after homes were flooded and roads and railway lines blocked by the storm which hit speeds of 81mph overnight.
A landslide between Bethesda and Betws-y-Coed in North Wales has shut the road today following the severe weather
Giant waves at Seaham in County Durham this morning as the bad weather continues, even after Storm Francis has moved on
Cleaners scrub the Tinside Lido in Plymouth, Devon, this morning after it was battered by Storm Francis in recent days
The beach at Lyme Regis in Dorset is packed with holidaymakers and sunbathers today after Storm Francis cleared the area
Boats on the River Thames near Walton-on-Thames in Surrey this morning, one day after Storm Francis hit the UK
Some Twitter users made fun of the storm blowing over garden equipment (left) while others saw it cause real damage (right)
North Wales Police chief constable Carl Foulkes tweeted this morning: ‘A really busy night across the force with colleagues working with fire and local authorities to manage impact of Storm Francis. Still a number of roads closed and we continue to monitor impact of rain. Important that everyone stays alert and safe.’
The railways and roads were badly hit by the deluge, with ScotRail suspending services through Burntisland in Fife after heavy rain flooded the tracks, while the line between Aberdeen and Inverurie was blocked by a fallen tree.
Elsewhere in Scotland, a lorry was blown onto its side on the M74 in Lanarkshire, while fallen trees caused problems on the A85 at Dalmally and the A82 at Tyndrum, and ferry operator CalMac cancelled several services.
Storm Francis swept away from Britain this morning but left a trail of devastation in its wake after hitting the country
In Wales, a woman was rescued from the River Ely at Leckwith near Cardiff after she went into the water to save her dog, while nine people had to be rescued at a campsite in St Clears after a river burst its banks.
Crews elsewhere in Wales also gave medical treatment to one man and evacuated 30 other people from a flooded caravan site in Wiseman’s Bridge, Narberth, while 12 caravans were also removed from the site.
The Severn Bridge and the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland were shut due to the high winds, and in Cornwall trees blocked the A30 and A39, while thousands of homes suffered power cuts in Devon, Cornwall and Gloucestershire.
And a woman was seriously injured when a falling tree hit her car in Little Wymondley, Hertfordshire.
But the worst of the weather is now thought to be over, with Met Office forecaster Craig Snell saying: ‘Francis has now pretty much moved off shore and it’s now just a slow gradual improvement.’
He said the weather was gradually improving this morning, but pointed out that it will take a while longer for eastern areas to see the winds fully calm down.
A car was crushed by a fallen tree in Nottingham yesterday, although both people in the vehicle suffered only minor injuries
Firefighters in Northern Ireland rescue residents after a river in Maghera burst its banks and trapped people in their homes
Waves crash at Beachy Head Lighthouse near Eastbourne in East Sussex yesterday as the storm hit Britain
A fallen tree blocks St Fagans Road in Cardiff yesterday as South Wales was badly hit by the stormy conditions
A woman has her hair blown in the wind at Euston Circus in London yesterday as Britain is hit by strong gusts
Waves crash near the pier at Eastbourne in East Sussex as winds of up to 80mph hit parts of Britain yesterday
Huge waves crash into Newhaven Lighthouse in East Sussex during Storm Francis yesterday
Flooding at Dundrum Cricket Club in County Down, Northern Ireland, yesterday as people were rescued from their homes
Girls enjoy the foam on the promenade as Storm Francis batters the Welsh seaside resort of Porthcawl in Bridgend yesterday
Two people walk through Glasgow in the heavy rain brought from Storm Francis yesterday afternoon
The strongest gusts recorded on Tuesday was the 81mph wind that hit The Needles near the Isle of Wight at around 8pm. This is just short of the August record for the UK which was 87mph recorded in 1996.
Lake Vyrnwy in Powys, Wales, saw gusts of 75mph, equalling the Welsh August gust record of the 75mph recorded at Milford Haven in August 1979.
The wettest place yesterday was Bethesda in north Wales where 101mm (3.98in) of rain was recorded – almost 1.5 times the 70mm (2.8in) average for the UK for the whole of August, equating to six weeks’ worth.
Meanwhile, the fire service in Northern Ireland said 37 people were rescued from flood water.
Elderly residents had to be rescued from the County Down coastal resort town of Newcastle after a river burst its banks, and in Draperstown, Co Londonderry, rescuers had to save nine people from inside a house, along with four outside who were trying to help.
A boat was used to help residents in Newcastle, a picturesque east coast town on the edge of the Mourne Mountains. Up to 300 homes were affected and streets left under three or four feet of water, a local representative said.
Catherine Jones, whose accountancy business, in Neath, was flooded for a second time in less than a year, said: ‘You just look at it and think ‘where do I start’.
‘We could be looking at thousands of pounds worth of damage. We can’t keep going through this every eight to nine months.’
Trains between Swansea and Cardiff were cancelled after lines were flooded, while Chepstow racecourse also cancelled today’s meet due to the bad weather.
Steve Ramsdale, chief meteorologist for the Met Office, said: ‘Storm Francis arrived early on Tuesday morning, bringing another spell of wet and windy weather for the UK over the next few days.
‘Wind speeds this strong are unusual during August and may come as a surprise to people spending time outdoors trying to catch the last few days of summer.’
The Met Office has never had two named storms in August since the process started in 2015, but Francis comes on the back of Ellen, which struck last week and caused power outages.
Storm Ellen also saw 15-year-old Nicola Williams swept to her death in the Rhymney River in Llanrumney, Cardiff, and a 50-year-old holidaymaker die in the sea near Helston, west Cornwall, after getting into difficulties.
RAC Breakdown spokesman Rod Dennis said that, until the middle of today, drivers need to brace themselves for some ‘very unpleasant’ conditions on the roads.
‘An amber weather warning covering a swathe of western Britain means there is a real risk of disruption to journeys from flying debris such as tree branches. Surface spray and perhaps some localised flooding are also possible.’