Saturday, December 26, 2020

Snow and ice could spur travel chaos as Storm Bella batters UK with 80mph winds

Snow and ice could spur travel chaos as Storm Bella batters UK with 80mph winds
The Met Office has warned of severe gales and heavy rainfall this weekend (Picture: NurPhoto via Getty Images/Met Office/Geoff Robinson)

Snow and ice could cause travel disruption on Monday as Storm Bella sweeps in to batter the UK this weekend.

The Met Office has put yellow weather warnings in place for Northern Ireland, swathes of Scotland and northern England from 6pm tomorrow until 10am on Monday.

Forecasters warn: ‘An area of rain, sleet and snow will move south through Sunday night with the potential for icy surfaces and some travel disruption.’

It comes as experts warn of severe gales in Wales and southern England on Saturday night, with many other areas also set to see strong winds and heavy rain.

A gust of wind has been recorded at 83mph in the coastal village of Aberdaron in north Wales as Storm Bella moves in, the Met Office said tonight.

They have predicted 15-25mm is likely to fall in Wales and south-west England, and up to 40-60mm over some hills.

There are currently two severe flood warnings – meaning ‘danger to life’ – in place for Cogenhoe Mill Caravan Site and the River Nene at Billing Aquadrome and nearby business parks.

Meanwhile, there are 77 other flood warnings and 156 other flood alerts in place across the country.

People have been warned flying debris could cause injury or be a risk to life, and buildings could be damaged in the storm.

PIC BY GEOFF ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY 07976 880732. Picture dated December 24th shows St Ives in Cambridgeshire after the River Great Ouse burst its banks that caused flooding in the region with more bad weather forecast for Boxing Day. Weather warnings are in place for large parts of the UK on Boxing Day, with Storm Bella expected to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph. It comes as parts of the country have already seen flooding in the past few days, with emergency services receiving hundreds of calls. Christmas Day will be calm and cold, with a very minimal chance of snow, according to the Met Office. However, conditions are set to become increasingly unsettled on 26 and 27 December.
St Ives in Cambridgeshire after the River Great Ouse burst its banks on Christmas Day (Picture: Geoff Robinson)
A car is seen in a road during heavy snow, in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, on December 4, 2020. (Photo by Giannis Alexopoulos/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A car is seen in a road during heavy snow, in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, on December 4, 2020 (Picture: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Snow and Ice weather warning met office
The Met Office has issued several weather warnings

It comes after 1,309 families living along the River Ouse in north Bedfordshire were told to evacuate on Christmas Day amid fears their lives were in danger. 

The river broke its banks on Christmas evening, causing water to flood onto bridges and roads in the village of Turvey.

The area’s fire chief said telling people they needed to leave their home at Christmas was ‘a terrible message to deliver’.

Paul Fuller, chief fire officer at Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, told BBC News: ‘It is of course a dreadful thing when we’ve faced all these months of difficulty and restriction.’

He added: ‘The peak in Bedford has now passed it seems, but the towns and villages further down stream are still at risk.’

More than 70 properties were also left without power on Christmas Day in Cirencester, Gloucestershire when an electricity substation flooded.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. 

For more stories like this, check our news page.



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