Rail services in Scotland suspended after ‘wild night’
Train services in Scotland are expected to be suspended until around noon after “a wild night”, Network Rail says.
The railway has recovered quickly this morning following Storm Isha with trees and debris cleared across routes in England and Wales, and route proving trains reporting lines clear.
Passenger and freight services have restarted and a good service is expected in most areas. Passengers should still check before they head out for the latest travel news on trains operators’ websites.
The exception is Scotland, where we do not expect to be able to restart services until around midday with dozens of lines shut due to fallen trees and flooding.
Hundreds of engineers are already out, armed with chainsaws and cherry pickers to remove and repair. Once done, route proving trains will be dispatched before passenger services can restart.
It’s been a wild night, but passengers and railway staff have been kept safe and we will work tirelessly to get the railway back on its feet as quickly as we can.
Key events
Stretches of the M9 and M74 were among roads closed throughout the night, Traffic Scotland says, while the A1 southbound was closed at Thorntonloch due to an overturned lorry.
High winds forced the closure of the Tay Road Bridge, M48 Severn Bridge and the A66 in Durham and Cumbria between the A1(M) and the M6, while the Humber Bridge, A19 Tees Flyover and A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire were among stretches closed to high-sided vehicles.
Rail services in Scotland suspended after ‘wild night’
Train services in Scotland are expected to be suspended until around noon after “a wild night”, Network Rail says.
The railway has recovered quickly this morning following Storm Isha with trees and debris cleared across routes in England and Wales, and route proving trains reporting lines clear.
Passenger and freight services have restarted and a good service is expected in most areas. Passengers should still check before they head out for the latest travel news on trains operators’ websites.
The exception is Scotland, where we do not expect to be able to restart services until around midday with dozens of lines shut due to fallen trees and flooding.
Hundreds of engineers are already out, armed with chainsaws and cherry pickers to remove and repair. Once done, route proving trains will be dispatched before passenger services can restart.
It’s been a wild night, but passengers and railway staff have been kept safe and we will work tirelessly to get the railway back on its feet as quickly as we can.
Many roads impassable in Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the weather was putting “significant pressure” on the 999 system and urged people to report non-emergencies online or by calling 101.
Ch Supt Davy Beck said many roads across Northern Ireland remained impassable on Monday morning.
He said in a statement:
Between 3.30pm on Sunday, 21st January and 2am on Monday, 22nd January, officers dealt with over 1,300 calls from the public, approximately 600 of these related to the storm.
“There is also a continued risk of significant debris on the road network as wind speeds remain high throughout Monday.
“A multi-agency response continues to deal with the aftermath and recovery from Storm Isha, and we thank the public for their continued patience and understanding.
The sailing of a Stena Line ferry from Belfast to Birkenhead, due to arrive at 6.30pm on Sunday, was delayed until at least 7.30am on Monday.
High winds have caused flight cancellations and diversions. One flight travelling from Sharm El Sheikh to Glasgow airport declared an emergency due to Storm Isha.
A spokesperson for Glasgow airport said the TUI flight was “diverted to Manchester due to current weather conditions” late on Sunday.
National Air Traffic Services (Nats) told PA Media:
Due to adverse weather conditions across the UK, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place. Restrictions of this sort are only every applied to maintain safety.
Our teams are working closely with airports and airlines to minimise disruption. Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.”
Belfast airport cancelled flights to and from the airport and warned that disruptions could continue into Monday.
Thousands left without power across UK and Ireland
Thousands of people have been left without power as Storm Isha brought disruption to electricity networks across the UK and Ireland.
ESB Networks reported more than 170,000 properties in Ireland were without power while Electricity North West said crews had been stood down due to the conditions with almost 8,000 homes losing power.
The company said expected restoration times had been pushed back to 5pm on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks said hundreds of extra staff had been brought in and incident centres opened after about 45,000 customers had been left without power, many of them overnight.
Amber warning lifted, yellow warning remains in place across UK until midday
The Met Office’s amber warnings have been lifted but a yellow warning has been let in place across the country until midday. That means:
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Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen
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Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible
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Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
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Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
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Some roads and bridges may close
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Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible.
After a top gust of 99mph overnight, #StormIsha is now moving away
However, it remains windy this morning with a yellow warning out for all until midday
Expect some disruption this Monday morning ⚠️ https://t.co/ejWfF75qOP
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 22, 2024
Here are some of the latest images from across the UK and Ireland.
Among the strongest wind gusts produced by Storm Isha so far is at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland, which recorded a high of 99mph.
The village of Capel Curig in Snowdonia recorded gusts of 90mph while Needles Old Battery weather station on the Isle of White recorded a gust of 86mph:
Monday will be wet across the UK today according to the Met Office, which is predicting plenty of “blustery showers” especially in the north and west and high winds across the country.
🌦️ There will be plenty of blustery showers to start on Monday, these heaviest in the north and west
🌬️ Remaining windy for all, although easing a little in the south later
⛅ Some sunny spells in the southeast, but still feeling chilly with northwestly winds pic.twitter.com/qeAEpFxSHv
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 21, 2024
There are also amber wind warnings in place across much of the UK until 6am, meaning, according to the Met:
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Damage to buildings and homes is possible, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
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Roads, bridges and railway lines may close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
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Power cuts could occur and affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
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Flying debris could result in a danger to life
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There is potential for large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
Early Monday morning trains cancelled across Scotland
Scotland’s railway operator has said there will be no Monday morning rush-hour services, after an amber weather warning for wind came into force on Sunday at 6pm. A red warning was later issued overnight, although it expired at 5am.
Network Rail says it made the decision to close the railway to passengers in the interest of public and staff safety.
Customer are advised to check the ScotRail website or app before travelling on Monday.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said:
The heavy wind and ongoing rain hitting most parts of the country mean that it will not be safe for our customers and our staff, and all ScotRail train services will be suspended from 19.00 [Sunday].”
We know the impact that the withdrawal of train services will have on customers, but our first priority is always to ensure the safety of staff and passengers – and this is a necessary step to ensure everyone’s safety during the severe weather.
Our colleagues at Network Rail Scotland will be working flat out through the night and into the morning to carry out safety checks, and assess what repairs are required to reopen the railway.
However, customers will be unable to travel early Monday morning, as trains will not be able to operate until the infrastructure has been made safe.
On Sunday evening, repair teams responded to reports of a tree which had fallen on overhead wires on a train track in Gartcosh, Cumbernauld. Network Rail thanked the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for extinguishing a small fire that broke out after the tree collided with the wires.
Network Rail also said a tree has fallen on to the tracks near East Linton in East Lothian.
The Met Office has also warned that damage to properties and businesses is possible.
Customers whose journey has been cancelled or disrupted due to adverse weather can travel two days after the date on their ticket, or also apply for a refund on any unused tickets.
Welcome and summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of Storm Isha with me, Helen Livingstone.
Travel disruption is expected across the country this morning with rush-hour trains axed for many and cancellations and delays also affecting air and sea travellers.
The Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings, including two amber wind alerts in place in England and Scotland until 6am and a red warning for parts of northern Scotland which was lifted at 5am. The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) meanwhile said on Sunday a tornado was “possible” in England and Wales.
Damage to homes and buildings, falling trees, power cuts, flying debris, large waves and even some flooding in places should be expected into Monday morning, forecasters have warned.
Agencies across Cumbria have declared themselves on standby for a major incident, with Sellafield nuclear site closing as a precaution on Sunday.
Stay with us for all the latest.
It was great seeing how much work you put into it. The picture is nice, and your writing style is stylish, but you seem to be worrying that you should be presenting the next article. I’ll almost certainly be back to read more of your work if you take care of this hike.
It was great seeing how much work you put into it. The picture is nice, and your writing style is stylish, but you seem to be worrying that you should be presenting the next article. I’ll almost certainly be back to read more of your work if you take care of this hike.