‘Multi-hazard’ Storm Bert causing disruption across UK

Storm Bert is continuing to hit the UK with snow, heavy rain and strong winds, causing disruption on roads and railways, as well as power cuts.

An amber warning for snow in Scotland has now been lifted, but yellow warnings for snow, wind, and rain remain in place, and gusts of up to 105mph have been recorded.

Yellow warnings are also in place across southern and southwest England as well as Wales, with the Met Office describing the storm as a “multi-hazard event”.

Hampshire Police are appealing for witnesses and dash cam footage after a man in his 60s died when a tree fell on a car on Saturday morning along the A34 southbound carriageway between Kings Worthy and Winnall.

Rail companies urged passengers to avoid travelling to certain areas, while a number of roads have been closed. The National Grid said 2,807 homes in Wales and 1,213 in south-west England were without power.

A yellow warning is mainly issued when it is likely that the weather will cause some low level impacts.

Areas in Scotland and north-east England will be most affected by snow, while strong winds will be felt the most in Wales and the north and south-east of England. Heavy rainfall is expected across the UK.

The storm follows a cold snap this week, which caused some schools to close in several parts of the UK.

Higher ground in northern England and the hills of Scotland could get 20-40cm of snow, posing the risk of significant disruption on roads.

But it is affecting lower areas too. There has already been snowfall in north-east England and Scotland.

BBC meteorologist Chris Fawkes said snow from Storm Bert was giving way to rain for many, but that the threat of disruption was far from over.

National Highways issued a severe weather alert for snow on roads in Yorkshire and north-east England as it expects blizzard conditions. It says snow is set to “accumulate quickly at all levels”.

Newcastle Airport and Leeds Bradford Airport both said they were operating as normal following earlier disruption, although a number of flights from each have been delayed.

Across south-west England and Wales, around 50-75mm (2-3in) of rain is expected to fall throughout Saturday. The most affected parts of south Wales could see up to 150mm, which would be the whole of November’s average rainfall in just a day.

A major search and rescue operation has been launched in Sidmouth, Devon after members of the public spotted an object in a river.

Natural Resources Wales said there was flooding to low-lying areas in parts of Carmarthenshire near the River Loughor, with rivers levels set to rise and and flooding of property expected.

In Denbighshire, north Wales, five adults and five children were rescued from a house following a landslide.

Winds from Storm Bert strengthened on Saturday morning, with top gusts of 82mph recorded at Capel Curig (Conwy) and 75mph at Needles, an exposed site on the western tip of the Isle of Wight.

In Scotland, winds have been even more ferocious with a gust of 105mph over the tops of the Cairngorm mountains, which have seen blizzard conditions.

Gales are forecast to spread inland in parts of the UK, affecting many areas. These winds will be strong enough to bring down some tree branches.

National Highways says the Severn Bridge (M48) – connecting Gloucestershire and south Wales – has been closed in both directions due to the strong winds.

In Scotland, the Queensferry Crossing has been closed in both directions and motorists diverted to the Forth Road Bridge, while traffic on the M80 near Castlecary was at a standstill.

Ferry companies have also been affected. Operator CalMac – which serves the west coast of Scotland – has cancelled several services.

P&O Ferries said it had also cancelled a service.

Irish Ferries said all its crossings between Rosslare, County Wexford and Pembroke in Wales have been cancelled, while a number of sailings from Dublin to Holyhead, as well as Cherbourg in France, will be delayed.

Rail operators have also announced schedule changes due to Storm Bert.

TransPennine Express “strongly” urged customers not to travel north of Carlisle on Saturday, while Avanti West Coast advised passengers not to travel north of Preston.

In Scotland, there will be speed restrictions on several lines covering the Highlands and the Glasgow South Western Line.

ScotRail has withdrawn multiple services and South Western Rail asked passengers to only travel west of Basingstoke if their journeys are essential.

A number of Scottish football matches have also been affected.

The kick-off of Rangers’ game against Dundee United was pushed back by 45 minutes following travel issues, while at least two Scottish Championship games have been called off altogether.

A full list of UK weather warnings in can be found here, and flood alerts here.

Areas of the Ireland have also been hit by flooding, with the west of the country appearing to be worst-affected.

Some 34,000 customers are without power across the country.

An amber cold health alert is also in place for much of England until 18:00 on Saturday.

It means there is an increased health risk to vulnerable people, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged people to check on those who may be at risk.

Some people may be eligible for cold weather payments – a government benefit top-up to help with fuel bills during times of exceptionally cold weather.