Advertisement

Britain battered by 70mph winds as Storm Fionn hits the UK

Britain is expected to be hit by snow showers and severe gales today after Storm Fionn battered the UK with gusts of more than 70mph.

Drivers in some parts of the UK have been warned to travel if it is only necessary – with delays expected on roads and trains.

In Coventry, huge gusts caused the roof to be torn off one house – while traffic incidents have also been reported across the UK.

Forecasters have also issued yellow wind warnings – with gusts reaching up to 78mph in parts of Wales last night.

The roof of a house in Coventry is torn off after being hit by the force of Storm Fionn (PA)
The roof of a house in Coventry is torn off after being hit by the force of Storm Fionn (PA)

‘It’s going to be a cold and blustery day with further showers especially in the north and west’, Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said.

‘There is likely to be disruption to travel so before you had head out, it’s worth taking a look at the state of the roads you will be travelling on.

‘There is a risk you could be held up and delayed and if you think that’s possible, make sure you have essentials with you such as coats, water and food in case you get held up for several hours.’

Huge gusts are expected to continue throughout the day (PA)
Huge gusts are expected to continue throughout the day (PA)
A downed tree is seen on the side of the road in Newport (MichaelClarke89/Twitter)
A downed tree is seen on the side of the road in Newport (MichaelClarke89/Twitter)

A snow and ice warning in place for northern areas of Scotland will be extended to Northern Ireland and northern England, forecasters have said.

The rough weather comes after the arrival of Storm Fionn, which officially hit Britain on January 16 and left swathes of the country under deep snow cover following an intense -7C blast.

Forecasters warned of gusts of up to 90mph sweeping through the UK for the next two days – with strong winds set hitting the whole of England overnight into January 18.

One motorist bravely navigates the snow-covered roads of Snake’s Pass (SWNS)
One motorist bravely navigates the snow-covered roads of Snake’s Pass (SWNS)
Snake’s Pass in the Peak District appears particularly treacherous, covered in snow with icy road conditions (SWNS)
Snake’s Pass in the Peak District appears particularly treacherous, covered in snow with icy road conditions (SWNS)

Lat night, temperatures dropped at low as -7C (19F) in Loch Glascarnoch, while snowfall continued across Scotland.

Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway recorded up 36cm of lying snow, while Spadeadam in Cumbria, now has 23cm of snow – with up to 20cm falling on Wednesday night alone.

The conditions also brought treacherous driving conditions and brought the M74 in Scotland to a standstill, but Traffic Scotland said there were no significant incidents on the roads for rush hour traffic and traffic on the M74 was ‘coping well’.

A wall is blown down by the force of Fionn in Deptford, south London (SWNS)
A wall is blown down by the force of Fionn in Deptford, south London (SWNS)
Bricks are seen scattered across the lawn after a huge section of the wall fell (SWNS)
Bricks are seen scattered across the lawn after a huge section of the wall fell (SWNS)

In England, several police and fire and rescue services forces, including Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Norfolk, Surrey, Gloucestershire and Cambridgeshire, reported fallen trees and urged people to take extra care.

Poor weather conditions are also affecting railways in the Midlands, with overhead electric wires damaged between Wolverhampton and Stafford.