Another weather warning has been issued and more than 200 flood alerts are in place in the UK as Storm Bert continues to sweep across the country. The Met Office said there is potential for fast flowing or deep floodwater to cause danger to life on Sunday after heavy downpours and howling winds battered much of the country.
A yellow wind warning has come into force for large parts of England, with gusts of up to 65mph expected in some places. Another yellow warning for rain remains in place for much of south-west of England, where the Met Office is warning some communities may be cut off by flooded roads.
Dozens of red flood warnings have been issued, meaning flooding is expected and residents and business owners should “act now”. The worst-hit areas have seen dozens of millimetres of rain overnight, with flood alerts concentrated in Wales, the south-west and north-west of England.
Sunday is set to be a blustery day for all and wind warnings cover large swathes of the country. The Met Office issued a fourth wind warning for the UK on Sunday morning, which covers central and eastern parts of England from 8am until 9pm. The M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire is closed again on Sunday because of strong winds, and the A66 in North Yorkshire and Cumbria is closed to high-sided and vulnerable vehicles in both directions between the A1M and M6 because of the gusty weather.
The national weather service has warned of very strong winds which it says are likely to bring disruption to transport, and dangerous coastal and marine conditions. Fallen trees caused travel disruption on Sunday morning. A tree blocking the railway between Reading and Basingstoke caused delays and cancellations to trains between the two stations, and in Surrey all lines between Cobham & Stoke D’abernon and Oxshott were blocked by a fallen tree.
Strong coastal gusts are forecast, and the Met Office has warned of a small chance of injuries caused by large waves and beach material being thrown on to seafront and coastal roads. Gusts of 70mph are possible around exposed headlands and even inland areas could see winds of up to 60mph.
It comes after thousands of homes were left without power on Saturday as strong winds tore down power lines. Northern Powergrid said 27,000 customers were affected in the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire. In a post on X on Saturday evening, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “My thoughts are with all those affected by Storm Bert.
“For those who have lost power, my department will be keeping in close touch with the energy companies as they seek to ensure it is restored as swiftly as possible and help those affected.”
Sunday will also be exceptionally mild for November, the Met Office said, with a high of 17.8C recorded in Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before 10am.