Saturday, February 15, 2014

UK storms: Two die as fierce storms continue



Two people have died as strong winds and heavy rain hit southern England, adding to problems already caused by widespread storms and flooding.
An 85-year-old man died after a freak wave hit a British cruise ship in the English Channel.
In central London, a 49-year-old female taxi driver was killed when her car was crushed by falling masonry.
More than 120,000 homes are without power and severe weather warnings are in place for much of the UK.
Energy Networks Association spokesman Tim Field said there had been "some really quite significant damage overnight".
Winds of up 83mph (133km/h) - combined with ongoing problems due to flooding - have also caused major disruption to roads and railways.
Soldiers try to move a fallen tree in Egham, Surrey

Inside the Marine Restaurant after storm hit (pic: Marine Restaurant)
Aqua dam being installed to hold back flood water in Chertsey, Surrey
Residents walk along a flooded street in Henley, Oxfordshire

The government's emergency committee, Cobra, is expected to meet on Saturday and Sunday to discuss the situation.
Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted: "My thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of the people killed in the storms last night."
Yellow "be aware" weather warnings of icy driving conditions are now in place for most of the UK. Across the south of England, Wales and the Midlands there are also warnings of heavy rain.
BBC weather presenter Louise Lear said conditions would improve through the course of Saturday with winds easing and some sunshine developing, although temperatures would drop significantly overnight.
Sunday is expected to be a dry day for most areas and while rain will return on Sunday night into Monday, it is likely to be much less intense than in recent weeks, she added.
The Environment Agency has 16 severe flood warnings - meaning "danger to life" - in place, as well more than 150 flood warnings and more that 260 flood alerts in England and Wales. There are a handful of flood alerts in Scotland.

Several passengers were injured when water crashed through a window of the cruise ship, MS Marco Polo, as it headed for its home port of Tilbury in Essex.
A man aged 85 and a woman in her 70s were airlifted off the ship, but the man later died.
In central London, close to Holborn Underground station, a Skoda Octavia minicab was crushed when part of a building collapsed on to it at about 23:00 GMT on Friday.
The female driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Her passengers, a 25-year-old man and 24-year-old woman, were taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
In Milford on Sea, in Hampshire, the Army had to be called in to help emergency services rescue 32 people at the beachfront Marine Restaurant after wind-blown shingle smashed windows and a tidal surge flooded the ground floor.
Conditions were described as "extremely dangerous" but police said there had been no serious injuries in the incident.
Elsewhere, two hill walkers who became disorientated in poor weather conditions at the summit of Ben Nevis on Friday had been found safe and well, Police Scotland said on Saturday morning.
Fallen trees have forced the closure of the westbound M40 between junctions 6-8a, and the westbound M2 between junctions 7-5.
The M48 Severn Crossing was closed for a number of hours due to high winds, but reopened around lunchtime on Saturday.
There are major problems on many rail routes, with Devon and Cornwall worst affected and many services in the two counties suspended altogether.
Network Rail said it had been "a vicious night" with more than 120 trees falling on the West Coast Mainline, and operator First Great Western advised against any travel unless absolutely necessary.
A landslip has blocked the line between London and Redhill near Merstham Tunnel, causing disruptions and cancellations on Southern trains.
And there are cancellations on Virgin services along the West Coast Mainline due to overhead line problems caused by a fallen tree.
Elsewhere, London Fire Brigade said its staff were working "around the clock" to prevent Kenley water treatment works near Purley in Surrey - which supplies 47,000 properties - from flooding.
In other developments:
  • The Environment Agency said river levels were expected to rise and stay high for several days after rainfall on Friday
  • About 50 soldiers were called in to help police and the Highways Agency shore up a section of the M50 motorway embankment near Ledbury, Herefordshire
  • Overall, about 2,200 armed forces personnel - regulars and reserves - are helping the flood relief effort and a further 3,000 are on stand-by to respond within two hours
  • Shipping containers protecting the damaged seafront railway at Dawlish in Devon were breached on Friday night, leaving properties at risk of flooding
  • A building collapsed onto a car in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, due to the strong winds - no-one was injured
  • Tens of thousands of sandbags are being used in counties including Gloucestershire, Somerset, Berkshire and Surrey
Some parts of the Somerset Levels have been flooded for several weeks, while areas near the Thames in Berkshire and Surrey have seen major flooding in recent days.
Fallen oak tree, Kenton, Devon, 15 Feb 2014

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