Storm Ashley leaves thousands without power after UK pounded by 80mph winds
More than 50,000 people were left without power after Storm Ashley swept across Ireland and the UK yesterday.
The first named storm of the season arrived with a bang, as well as water by the bucket load as rivers burst their banks and waves drenched coastal promenades.
Gusts of up to 82mph came after many areas were already dealing with flooding, some with their wettest months ever, with the fasted wind speed recorded in Aberdaron, Scotland.
More than 100 flood warnings remained in place across the UK this morning, as well as a yellow weather warning for wind which has now been lifted.
The south Cornwall coast and large parts of the River Severn were especially at risk, and in Scotland, the Scottish Environment Flood Agency had 47 flood warnings in place with eight issued by Natural Resources Wales.
Wind was so strong that some main roads in the north of England had to close, including the A66 between County Durham and the M6 at Cumbria which reopened early this morning.
These pictures and video show how the storm battered those who weren’t able to stay indoors….
Power outages were widespread in Ireland after power cables were torn down by the force of the wind, with the worst hit areas Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Clare and Kerry, North Cork and North Dublin.
The first named storm of the season also forced the postponement of several sporting fixtures.
Several Gaelic Athletic Association finals were pushed back, and this year’s Great South Run in Portsmouth was cancelled completely with 23,000 runners affected.
The hazardous conditions saw dozens of flights cancelled yesterday, including at airports in Dublin and Belfast.
There was little chance to travel there by sea either, as P&O Ferries announced its sailings between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in Scotland’s south west were to be cancelled on Sunday.
Meanwhile on Saturday afternoon a lorry jack-knifed across the A249 near Sittingbourne in Kent, amid warnings of strong winds though it was not clear exactly what caused the accident.
The Met Office said winds will ease today as Storm Ashley moves north east, with a mix of scattered showers and sunny spells expected in its wake.
More frequent may be expected in the south east.
The weather is likely to turn ‘unsettled’ later in the week, bringing possible heavy rain and strong winds once more.
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