UK weather: Lorries and cars swept off roads as Britain battered by gale-force winds
British Wind #BritishWind
Met Office national morning forecast for March 11 – Windy with heavy showers
SHARE
SHARE
TWEET
SHARE
Click to expand
UP NEXT
Ferocious winds have caused chaos across Britain with lorries buffeted off roads and homes plunged into darkness.
A train was derailed in Tonbridge, Kent amid the gale-force pandemonium this morning after a trampoline was thrown into its path and chewed up under its wheels.
The A417 in Gloucestershire has ground to a halt after an HGV was flung off the road and onto its side by a huge gust, while another lorry was flipped over between Hexham and Corbridge in Northumberland this morning.
Homes in Wales were plunged into darkness last night as gusts reaching 86mph tore through Capel Curig.
A fallen tree caused road misery on the A487 between Pantperthog and Ceinws, while the B4410 from Llanfrothen has been closed due to flooding.
The Irish Ferries link has had to cancel numerous services today as the wind continues to whip up the sea.
Severn Bridge and Cleddau Bridge have been closed in both directions, while a 30mph speed limit has been imposed on the Britannia Bridge on Anglesey.
So fierce were the winds that a large tree was pulled out of the ground in Surrey.
Such scenes of travel chaos are threatening to be replicated across the UK today as a storm rips over the aisles.
The Met Office’s yellow weather warning kicked in at 9pm yesterday for the whole of England and Wales.
The forecaster warned that winds reaching 70mph were expected until 3pm today.
“The weather patterns have shifted, much more wet and windy weather sweeping across the country and that is set to last for the next several days,” Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said.
“It really will be quite chilly when the wind is blowing, and it will be blowing pretty strong, especially on Thursday.”
The intense weather front has led the Royal National Lifeboat Service to urged people to be careful when close to the sea due to the “severe safety risk” of winds, rains and choppy water.
Earlier this week the charity’s head of water safety Gareth Morrison said: “In a normal year around 150 people lose their lives at the coast and we know that more than half of those never intended to be in the water.
“So, whether you are walking, running or cycling at the coast, please be extra responsible and avoid taking unnecessary risks or entering the water.”
Thankfully the worst of the wind and rain will have passed by Thursday evening.
While there are no weather warnings issued this weekend, Saturday and Sunday are not likely to be ones to remember climatologically speaking.
Temperatures are not forecast to get above the 10C mark anywhere in the country and a dark clouds and heavy rain are likely to be persistent.
Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “The weekend is set to have an unsettled start but nothing unusual for the time of year.”
He added: “We could see some strong winds during the early hours of Saturday morning and lots of heavy showers around particularly in the west.
“But as we go head into Sunday they should become less frequent and not quite as heavy, so it is an unsettled start but as the weekend goes on the winds will start to ease a little bit.”
A spell of very windy weather moving across England and Wales this morning, along with frequent heavy showers, followed by sunny spells and further showers, these falling as rain and hail with snow over northern hills.
Tonight:
Remaining windy with clear spells and showers most frequent in the west, heavy at times with hail and risk of thunder. Showers falling as snow over high ground, particularly Scotland.
Friday:
A breezy day with sunny spells and scattered showers, wintry over hills in the north, with more prolonged showers arriving into the west towards evening.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
Sunny spells and heavy, blustery showers Saturday, hill snow in the north. Showers in places Sunday, some longer periods of rain later. Rain in the west, the east drier Monday.