Five dead after Storm Bert ahead of more weather warnings

The Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan said it has been ‘a truly hard weekend’ and it is ‘absolutely devastating’ for those affected by flooding aft Storm Bert hit.

Speaking to broadcasters, Baroness Morgan said: ‘It’s been a truly hard weekend, and I’d similar to convey the exigency services for each the enactment they’re giving to the radical affected.

‘I deliberation this is the 2nd clip that galore of those person suffered arsenic a effect of the storm. There’s been immense investments since the past tempest hit, truthful we’ve managed to support tons much properties than past time. But evidently this is perfectly devastating, conscionable earlier Christmas for those radical who person been impacted.’

Asked if determination volition beryllium exigency backing disposable to assistance people, she said discussions person already started, adding ‘and of course, we volition bash everything we request to bash to enactment measures successful spot to enactment radical who’ve undergone this really, truly hard situation’.

She added that they person enactment ‘hundreds of millions of pounds’ into flood defences implicit the past fewer years, which is helping to support astir 250,000 homes, but ‘clearly, clime alteration is going to interaction connected us, and determination volition travel a constituent erstwhile it volition beryllium excessively hard for america to support each location successful the state but clearly, we privation to enactment the enactment successful spot if we’re capable to bash that for the radical impacted’.

Prime curate Keir Starmer says his thoughts are with the victims of Storm Bert, and that helium is liasing with Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan astir the terrible flooding successful the country.

In a station connected X, formerly Twitter, the PM said: ‘Thank you to the exigency services who are moving tirelessly to support communities — my thoughts are with those impacted. I’m receiving updates connected Storm Bert arsenic it develops crossed the UK.’

The Welsh authorities has urged radical to instrumentality other attraction aft an ‘exceptionally difficult’ play has seen immense swathes of the state overrun by flooding from Storm Bert.

A authorities spokesperson said: ‘It has been an exceptionally hard and disruptive play crossed galore parts of Wales which person been impacted by Storm Bert.

‘All our thoughts are with those who person suffered flooding to their homes and businesses. The trauma and upset this causes should ne'er beryllium underestimated.

‘Our exigency services and section authorities person worked tirelessly to enactment those affected, moving successful highly hard circumstances, and we convey them each for their ongoing efforts.’

The connection said it was captious that radical to travel authoritative proposal and instrumentality other attraction implicit the coming days. 

They added: ‘Despite the important impacts, it appears that flood defences played a relation successful protecting galore homes and businesses, and we volition proceed our concern programme to marque communities adjacent much resilient to terrible upwind events successful future.’

The A38 Devon Expressway is partially closed owed to flooding connected the carriageway.

Traffic is forced to usage 1 lane eastbound adjacent Newton Abbot aft Storm Bert has wreaked havoc crossed railways, roads and energy infrastructure.

Flood warnings stay successful spot on with yellowish warnings for upwind and rainfall which are expected to disrupt question until tonight.

Elsewhere, the M48 Severn Bridge betwixt Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire was closed successful some directions owed to beardown winds, with motorists told to usage the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.

Rail lines person besides been affected, with the Conwy Valley line, which runs from Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and the Heart of Wales lines – Swansea to Shropshire – set to beryllium closed for the remainder of Sunday.

Footage has emerged appearing to amusement a tractor going done the floodwater thought to beryllium successful Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire.

A video was posted online appearing to amusement a tractor operator going done the deluge which created waves smashing up against the store fronts.

One commentator claimed connected X that locals are ‘understandably livid’ aft seeing the footage of the waves sloshing against the buildings.

Some users said the tractor operator mightiness person been successful a hurry connected their mode to assistance a stranded motorist elsewhere.

Metro approached the constabulary for a comment.

The Royal Parks were unopen contiguous owed to beardown winds, including astatine Hyde Park.

The Winter Wonderland closed wrong Hyde Park contiguous owed to the ‘inclement upwind conditions.’

The household attraction said it hopes to reopen tomorrow.

It said successful a statement: ‘All affected summons holder person been contacted straight and volition person the accidental to reschedule oregon refund their tickets.’

Great Western Railway has told passengers not to effort to question betwixt London, Devon and Cornwall.

Several trains person been suspended aft flooding and fallen trees person blocked lines.

Trains are incapable to tally connected large routes and customers ‘should not effort to travel’ connected them.

• Between Newbury and Plymouth – No trains betwixt London, Devon and Cornwall
• Between southbound Wales, Bristol Parkway and London Paddington
• Between Exeter and Okehampton and Exeter and Barnstaple
• Sleeper services successful some directions betwixt London and Penzance volition not tally

The disruption is expected at slightest until the extremity of the day, but this could beryllium revised later.

Customers person the enactment to usage their tickets to question time oregon Tuesday, including connected peak-time services, oregon assertion a refund, GWR said.

A assemblage has been discovered successful hunt for Brian Perry, 75, who went missing successful the River Conwy yesterday portion walking his dog.

Departure flights person been axed astatine Heathrow Airport today.

British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, Austrian Airlines, Aer Lingus, TAP Air Portugal, Virgin, Finnair and United Airlines person axed flights to European and US destinations today, according to Flightradar24.

It comes arsenic the Met Office issued a informing for beardown winds and gusts successful the area.

Thousands of homes person been near without energy aft powerfulness cuts crossed the UK owed to fatal Storm Bert.

It comes aft 4,000 households were affected by powerfulness outages yesterday.

In Suffolk unsocial – wherever a upwind informing is successful spot until 9pm – astir 500 homes are without energy aft beardown gusts.

National Grid said that the South West has been ‘particularly severely affected, bearing the brunt of the atrocious upwind this morning.’

‘Strong winds and gusts of astir 60mph person caused histrion falls and harm to powerfulness lines. Heavy rainfall has besides brought flooding causing entree issues,’ it said.

Roisin Quinn, a tract operations director, said that portion engineering teams are restoring supplies ‘overhead powerfulness lines whitethorn proceed to beryllium brought down.’

Several roads stay closed crossed Wales, with astir of the roadworthy closures located successful southbound Wales.

The A4223 Bridge Street is closed successful Pontypridd wherever residents are battling rising floodwater connected their doorstep.

Further north, the A479 is closed some ways from Tretower to Crickhowell, portion the A458 is unopen some ways from Cyfronydd to B4389 extracurricular Welshpool.

Traffic velocity has been reduced to 20mph connected the M4 adjacent Swansea aft beardown winds betwixt J41 (Baglan / Pentyla) to J42 A483.

The hunt for a missing canine walker who has gone missing successful the Afon Conwy stream adjacent Trefriw yesterday.

The Coastguard helicopter, exigency services, specializer underwater hunt teams and the occurrence and rescue work person been scouring the country aft helium went missing astatine astir 4.30pm yesterday.

The man, successful his 70s, had been walking with his woman and canine adjacent Gower Road which is affected by ‘significant floodwater pursuing Storm Bert,’ North Wales Police said.

Chief Inspector Simon Kneale of North Wales Police, said: ‘This is simply a peculiarly hard clip for this gentleman’s family. Extensive searches are continuing this greeting arsenic portion of a multi-agency effect and officers are supporting his family.

‘I would similar to convey everyone who has assisted successful carrying retired extended h2o based searches successful highly hard upwind and h2o conditions.

‘Floodwater poses important risks, often hiding dangers and being deeper than it appears. I would impulse members of the nationalist to ever debar walking oregon driving done floodwater—it’s ne'er worthy the risk.

‘If you person information, delight interaction america connected 101 immediately.’

The Coastguard told Metro its chopper was progressive successful the hunt astatine Llanrwst soon aft 6pm.

It said: ‘The Coastguard chopper from Caernarfon was sent alongside Ogwen Mountain Rescue Team. The chopper concluded the hunt and was stood down past night.’

Other exigency services are continuing the search.

The Met Office has warned of beardown winds which could origin disruption crossed cardinal and eastbound parts of England until 9pm.

Exposed areas look upwind gusts of 55mph portion southbound facing coastal regions could beryllium barreled by winds of up to 65mph, the forecaster said.

Here are the areas wherever the latest upwind informing has been issued.

East Midlands

• Leicester
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Northamptonshire
• Rutland

East of England

• Bedford
• Cambridgeshire
• Central Bedfordshire
• Essex
• Hertfordshire
• Luton
• Norfolk
• Peterborough
• Southend-on-Sea
• Suffolk
• Thurrock

London and South East England

• Bracknell Forest
• Buckinghamshire
• East Sussex
• Greater London
• Hampshire
• Kent
• Medway
• Milton Keynes
• Oxfordshire
• Reading
• Slough
• Surrey
• West Berkshire
• West Sussex
• Windsor and Maidenhead
• Wokingham

South West England

• Bath and North East Somerset
• Bristol
• Gloucestershire
• North Somerset
• South Gloucestershire
• Swindon
• Wiltshire

West Midlands

• Warwickshire
• West Midlands Conurbation
• Worcestershire

A operator has had a constrictive flight aft a mountainside collapsed successful a landslide successful Cymmer, Rhondda Valley, southbound Wales.

Firefighters responded aft a landslide blocked portion of the A4106, with 1 car caught successful the falling stone and mud.

The roadworthy volition stay closed until further notice, the occurrence work said.

The adjacent B4434 Neath Road is besides closed successful some ways from Clyne Court to Heol Herbert owed to a fallen tree.

A large incidental has been declared successful parts of southbound Wales aft rivers flooded pursuing dense rainfall brought by Storm Bert.

Footage shows residents successful Pontypridd trying to support their homes from the flood h2o which has overtaken roads successful the town.

Welsh Water has told radical surviving astatine the apical extremity of Rhondda Fawr to boil their drinking water.

Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore, said connected societal media the flooding is ‘intense,’ adding that ‘I person ne'er known it truthful bad.’

He told Sky News: ‘I americium profoundly saddened to witnesser the devastation caused by past night’s tempest and the terrible flooding crossed our communities.

‘The flooding crossed areas successful the Rhondda and Ogmore is unprecedented. I person ne'er seen it connected this standard before.

‘My squad and I are moving tirelessly to enactment those impacted, and I privation to guarantee everyone that the Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Bridgend County Borough Council and Dwr Cymru teams are doing everything successful their powerfulness to respond to this crisis.’

Have you been affected by Storm Bert? Please email webnews@metro.co.uk.

The obstruction web is feeling the brunt of Storm Bert, with fallen trees and debris blocking routes up and down the UK.

A Southeastern bid has struck a histrion astatine Leigh.

The bid institution said: ‘Unfortunately harm has been caused to the bid and it is incapable to determination until unit person attended and inspected.’

A begetter and his babe had a constrictive flight aft flash flooding successful Todmorden, Calderdale.

The frightening incidental happened aft flooding submerged a roadworthy successful the West Yorkshire marketplace municipality on with the household car.

Paige Newsome said her spouse Andre had to ‘to propulsion himself and our 11-month-old babe retired of the car windows, whilst the h2o was flooding into the car.’

The mum praised Andre for his speedy absorption during the ‘scary experience,’ but she called for the assembly to benignant retired the alleged flooding hotspots ‘asap.’

She claimed Calderdale Council person been ‘getting notified astir this portion of Woodhouse Road aggregate times by the owners of the location adjacent to wherever our car is parked.’

Paige added: ‘I cannot convey those owners capable for taking Andre and Luca into their location and helping them.’

Metro approached Calderdale Council for a comment.

Other roads successful Todmorden are flooded arsenic h2o levels emergence connected section rivers, including River Calder.

• Woodhouse Road remains closed
• Rochdale Road astatine Bell Holme, Walsden, is unfastened but it is flooded and is covered successful debris

The Royal Parks said each of its London parks volition beryllium closed contiguous owed to ‘severe upwind gusts caused by Storm Bert.’

This includes each cafes, kiosks, parkland roads and cycleway, including astatine Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Regent’s Park.

The Changing of the Guard is besides cancelled today.

Here is simply a afloat database of the closed parks.

• Hyde Park
• Kensington Gardens
• St James’s Park
• The Green Park
• Greenwich Park
• The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill
• Richmond Park
• Bushy Park
• Brompton Cemetery

Storm Bert has landed with a bang arsenic the UK braces itself for winds of up to 70mph during the 2nd time of unsmooth weather.

See beneath however the tempest is forming implicit the Atlantic Ocean.

Dozens of areas are expected to beryllium deed by flooding aft the operation of dense rainfall and thawing snow.

The Environment Agency has issued 60 reddish flood warnings which means flooding is expected successful these areas – the highest class – portion flooding is imaginable astatine 174 different locations.

Here is simply a afloat database of locations with reddish flood alerts.

• Brimfield Brook astatine Orleton and Brimfield
• Doniford Stream successful the Sampford Mill Farm area
• Ginge Brook betwixt Steventon and Sutton Courtenay, including Milton and Drayton Mill areas
• Illey Brook astatine Halesowen
• Landford to Wade Bridge connected the River Blackwater
• Middle Stour from Hammoon to Sturminster Marshall
• Midgelden Brook astatine Bacup Road – Gauxholme
• Pearl Brook astatine Horwich, country adjacent to the stream from Bridge Street and Old Station Park to the M61
• River Arrow astatine Kington
• River Axe (Lower) from Axminster to Axmouth
• River Axe (Upper) from Winsham to Axminster, including Chard Junction and Weycroft
• River Bovey astatine Bovey Tracey and Heathfield
• River Brit astatine Newtown, and Southgate Old Mill, Beaminster
• River Brue and Glastonbury Millstream from Lovington to Highbridge, debased lying properties
• River Calder astatine Brearley and Luddenden Foot
• River Calder astatine Callis Bridge and Charlestown
• River Calder astatine Central Todmorden
• River Calder astatine Eastwood
• River Calder astatine Hebden Bridge – Mytholm and Hebble End
• River Calder astatine Horbury – The Strands
• River Calder astatine Todmorden from the Cricket Ground to the Railway Bridge
• River Calder astatine Todmorden – Harley Wood
• River Calder astatine Todmorden – Patmos Burnley Road
• River Calder from Todmorden to Eastwood
• River Clyst from Broadclyst to Clyst St. Mary
• River Dart from Buckfastleigh to Totnes, including Staverton
• River Darwen astatine Ewood and Waterfall successful Blackburn
• River Dene astatine Walton
• River Isle astatine Ashford Mill and Ilford Bridges
• River Isle astatine Ilminster
• River Isle from Chard Reservoir to Hambridge not including Ilminster
• River Lew astatine Gribbleford Bridge and Hatherleigh
• River Lyd from Sydenham to Lifton
• River Okement astatine Brightley, Jacobstowe and Monkokehampton
• River Parrett (upper) from South Perrott to Thorney
• River Ribble astatine Samlesbury, astir Brockholes Reserve and Lower Brockholes Quarry
• River Ribble astatine Walton-le-Dale, country from Fishwick Bottoms to Railway Bridge
• Rivers successful Accrington and Oswaldtwistle
• Rivers Stour and Iwerne astatine Stourpaine
• River Stour astatine Mitford Bridge, Shipston connected Stour and Tredington
• River Tamar from Greystone Bridge to Cotehele excluding Calstock
• River Taw (Middle) from Taw Bridge to Newnham Bridge
• River Teign (Lower) from Chudleigh to Kingsteignton
• River Teign (Upper) from Clifford Bridge to Chudleigh
• River Teme astatine Stanford Bridge
• River Torridge (Lower) from Dolton to Bideford, including Taddiport and Weare Giffard
• River Ure astatine Boroughbridge Camping and Caravanning Site
• River Vyrnwy astatine Maesbrook
• River Vyrnwy astatine Melverley
• River Weaver astatine Shrewbridge Lodge
• River Wye from Hay to Hereford
• River Yarty from Yarcombe to Axminster
• River Yeo astatine Mudford
• River Yeo from Sherborne to Yeovil
• Skirden Beck and Kirk Beck astatine Bolton by Bowland
• Upper Frome astatine Maiden Newton
• Upper Frome from Maiden Newton to Dorchester
• Walsden Water astatine Todmorden from Shade to Salford
• Walsden Water astatine Walsden
• Water Eaton Brook astatine Water Eaton