Storm Ciara: Man dies after tree falls on car during gales
Police say a 58-year-old man died in Hampshire after his car was hit during the storm on Sunday. …
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A 58-year-old man has died after a tree fell on his car in Hampshire during Storm Ciara on Sunday.
Police said the man, from Micheldever, was driving on the A33 when the accident happened just before 16:00 GMT. He died at the scene.
It comes as the UK continues to feel the after-effects following widespread flooding and severe gales.
Trains, flights and motorists face further disruption, while many flood warnings remain in place.
Yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and wind are also in force for large swathes of the UK.
Forecasters said some areas could see blizzards and up to 20cm (8in) of snow.
Hampshire Police released a statement on Monday saying a 58-year-old man died after a tree fell on the Mercedes he was driving from Winchester to Micheldever.
“His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, homes were evacuated in Brentwood, Essex, in the early hours of Monday after a car fell into a sinkhole on a residential road.
Some areas experienced a month-and-a-half’s worth of rainfall and gusts of 97mph on Sunday, resulting in flooding and power cuts for more than half a million households.
More than 140 flood warnings remain in place around the UK, with almost 100 of those in England – the majority of which are in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, 37 in Scotland, and six in Wales.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak said the government “stands ready to support where it can” and hundreds of environment agency staff were helping with the clean-up.
Engineers have managed to restore electricity to the vast majority of homes but more than 20,000 properties across east and south-east England and north Wales spent the night without power.
UK Power Networks has since said in a statement that electricity had been restored to the majority of the 324,000 homes and businesses that experienced outages because of the storm.
It said around 12,000 properties remained without power in east and south-east England.
Flooding and debris continue to cause problems for rail passengers, who have been urged to check their routes before they travel.
Lines which continue to be disrupted include the West Coast Main Line, which has no trains running north of Preston because of flooding at Carlisle.
London North Eastern Railway said there was “still major disruption” with many of its services cancelled or suspended. Those which are running are “extremely busy” and passengers may have to stand, it said.
The other operators affected include Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, Northern, ScotRail and South Western Railway.
Disruption is expected to continue throughout the rest of Monday.
EPA
97mphgusts, and heavy rain
20,000Homes without power Sunday night
Airlines operating to and from UK airports continue to be affected by the weather conditions, with more than 100 flights cancelled.
British Airways, one of the worst affected, said it was “carefully assessing every flight”.
As of 13:00 GMT on Monday, more than 60 Heathrow departures had been cancelled – about 6% of its daily flights.
Ferry services between Dover and Calais have also been hit by delays and cancellations.
Blizzard conditions are affecting some higher routes in Scotland and drivers have been advised to take extra care.
A Met Office yellow warning for wind and snow is in place for the entire day throughout Northern Ireland and most of Scotland.
Parts of northern England have been warned to expect snow and ice from 15:00 GMT.
And a warning for wind is in place for Cornwall and the south coast of England until 19:00.
Forecasters are expecting the unsettled weather to last further into the week – with weather warnings in place until Wednesday.
“While Storm Ciara is clearing away, that doesn’t mean we’re entering a quieter period of weather,” said Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill.
“It’s going to stay very unsettled.
“We have got colder air coming through the UK and will be feeling a real drop in temperatures, with an increased risk of snow in northern parts of the UK and likely in Scotland.
“There could be up to 20cm (8in) on Monday and Tuesday and with strong winds, blizzards aren’t out of the question.”
On Sunday, the fastest gusts of 97mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight, with 93mph winds hitting Aberdaron, a village at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula.
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