Winds and heavy rain in south-west England as schools shut
Steven Morris
Winds of almost 80mph and very heavy rain have battered parts of south-west England as Storm Ciarán brings disruption to swathes of the UK.
Hundreds of schools have been shut, roads closed, flights and bus and rail routes disrupted with “danger to life” amber warnings in place for wind across southern England.
By 7.30am on Thursday the Environment Agency had issued 65 flood warnings for England and 156 flood alerts. Natural Resources Wales warned river levels in the far south-west of the country could be the highest ever recorded. Around 10,000 homes were without power in south-west England.
The Channel Islands bore the brunt of the storm on Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday, where Jersey police said winds reached 102mph (164km/h).
About 40 people were evacuated from their homes on the island because of damage to buildings. Four people were taken to A&E and the roof of Jersey general hospital was damaged.
Very large hailstones pounded the islands and there were 9-metre swells and an unconfirmed report of a tornado. The Jersey Met Section issued a red wind warning, its highest level. All flights from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney airports on Thursday were cancelled and ferries to and from the islands suspended.
Wind speeds of more than 70mph were recorded on the Isles of Scilly and at Berry Head in south-west England while there were winds of more than 60mph at some areas of the south and south-east.
Key events
The impact of Storm Ciarán can be felt across several European countries this morning. Here are some photos.
Here is a warning map issued by Spain’s state meteorological agency this morning.
⚠️ Este es el mapa de avisos en vigor para hoy, 2 de noviembre, actualizado a las 10:00 horas.
👉 Peligro extremo en el Atlántico gallego y Cantábrico oriental por olas de 8 a 9 metros.
👉 Peligro importante por vientos muy fuertes en amplias zonas de la Península y Baleares. pic.twitter.com/y9vkVbGdTu— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) November 2, 2023
The UK Met office said its warning is “now more focused for where the strongest winds associated with Storm Ciarán will be in the south-east.”
Here is a map of the risks in France.
French meteorological service warns of ‘very strong’ winds
Météo-France, the French national meteorological service, is warning about very strong winds.
Clément Beaune, France’s transport minister, called for “minimum” traffic in the few hours where risk remains very high.
Speaking on Franceinfo radio this morning, the minister also noted that the Brest and Quimper airports remain closed.
🔴 Tempête Ciaran ➡️ Clément Beaune appelle “au minimum de circulation possible, dans ces quelques heures où le risque reste très important”.
“Les aéroports de Brest et Quimper restent fermés en ce début de matinée.” pic.twitter.com/IC8o4IuOLd
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) November 2, 2023
Wind warning issued in Belgium
The Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium has issued a wind warning, in effect from 8am local time today until tomorrow morning.
There is a very strong wind expected where damage or troubles on a larger scale is possible and traffic can be seriously affected. Be careful and follow the instructions of the responsible authority.
Winds and heavy rain in south-west England as schools shut
Steven Morris
Winds of almost 80mph and very heavy rain have battered parts of south-west England as Storm Ciarán brings disruption to swathes of the UK.
Hundreds of schools have been shut, roads closed, flights and bus and rail routes disrupted with “danger to life” amber warnings in place for wind across southern England.
By 7.30am on Thursday the Environment Agency had issued 65 flood warnings for England and 156 flood alerts. Natural Resources Wales warned river levels in the far south-west of the country could be the highest ever recorded. Around 10,000 homes were without power in south-west England.
The Channel Islands bore the brunt of the storm on Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday, where Jersey police said winds reached 102mph (164km/h).
About 40 people were evacuated from their homes on the island because of damage to buildings. Four people were taken to A&E and the roof of Jersey general hospital was damaged.
Very large hailstones pounded the islands and there were 9-metre swells and an unconfirmed report of a tornado. The Jersey Met Section issued a red wind warning, its highest level. All flights from Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney airports on Thursday were cancelled and ferries to and from the islands suspended.
Wind speeds of more than 70mph were recorded on the Isles of Scilly and at Berry Head in south-west England while there were winds of more than 60mph at some areas of the south and south-east.
1.2 million households without electricity in France
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, France’s minister for energy transition, said on social media this morning that 1.2 million households are without electricity due to the impact of Storm Ciarán.
La tempête Ciaran se poursuit.
1,2 million de foyers connaissent actuellement des coupures d’électricité.
Merci aux équipes d’@enedis et @rte_france et à toutes celles et ceux qui sont sur le pont pour rétablir le courant. Je serai à leurs côtés cet après-midi.
— Agnès Pannier-Runacher 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@AgnesRunacher) November 2, 2023
One dead as storm hits France
Storm Ciarán left one person dead in France, officials said, Reuters reported.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, last night warned residents of areas affected by Storm Ciarán not to take risks.
Une tempête majeure va frapper dès ce soir une partie du pays.
Aux habitants des départements en vigilance : ne prenez pas de risque. Restez chez vous et prenez des nouvelles de vos proches isolés.
Un grand merci aux agents de l’État et des collectivités qui veillent.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 1, 2023
Storm Ciarán: ‘danger to life’ warnings for England
Storm Ciarán is forecast to bring a fresh bout of strong winds and heavy rain to the UK – with “danger to life” amber weather warnings issued for Thursday.
Two amber warnings, the second-highest level of alert, are in place for parts of the south coast of England on Thursday, with further yellow rain warnings, the lowest level, meaning some disruption could be on the way.
Commuters in southern England were urged to work from home by Southern Rail, with Southeastern “strongly advising” passengers not to travel on routes in and out of London before 9am on Thursday as they assess any fallen trees and debris on the line.
Train passengers travelling between Scotland and England will face disruption, with operators issuing a warning to travellers. Other operators were warning of delays and cancellations.
Welcome to the blog
Welcome back to the Europe live blog.
Today we will be looking at the latest on the impact of Storm Ciarán.
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