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Storm Ashley has battered parts of the country with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain as more flights and trains are cancelled.
As the storm passed over the Scottish Highlands on Sunday night, average wind speeds hit 85mph with gusts of at least 111mph provisionally recorded at the summit of Cairn Gorm.
Speed restrictions are in place on rail lines across Scotland due to the high winds, while flights continued to be impacted at Aberdeen Airport this morning. At least four have been cancelled, including one bound for London Heathrow Airport.
In England, National Rail said Northern services between Bolton and Blackburn were being blocked by a tree on the line this morning.
The Environment Agency had 45 flood warnings, where flooding is expected, in place across England on Monday, including along the south Cornwall coast and large parts of the River Severn, after the river burst its banks, submerging the town of Worcester, the previous day.
A further 96 places were kept on high alert overnight with possible flooding – while, in Scotland, the Scottish Environment Flood Agency had 47 flood warnings in place, with eight issued by Natural Resources Wales.
A woman braces herself for a cold swim in Salthill, Galway, during Storm Ashley (Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Tom Watling21 October 2024 12:31
Below, we have a video showing the extent of Storm Ashley in western Ireland on Sunday.
Tom Watling21 October 2024 12:01
(Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Tom Watling21 October 2024 11:29
Dozens of flood warnings announced by the Met Office after Storm Ashley hit the UK have now ended.
The Met Office has removed all its weather warnings for today.
Tom Watling21 October 2024 10:58
Tom Watling21 October 2024 10:29
Watch: Planes landing at Heathrow Airport face wrath of Storm Ashley’s 80mph winds
Planes at Heathrow Airport have been seen getting blown around by the 80mph winds of Storm Ashley this morning (20 October). A number of flights from the like of BA and Virgin Atlantic were seen by Big Jet TV making their approach, sometimes sideways, before struggling to touch down in the bluster. Storm Ashley is “likely” to bring a threat of injuries and danger to life, the Met Office has said, with weather warnings issued across the UK. The storm is the first named storm of the year.
Tom Watling21 October 2024 10:01
Members of the public walk along a road as waves crash against the sea defences as storm Ashley arrives in Saltcoats, Scotland, (Getty Images)
People struggle to walk in the wind on the promenade in Salthill, Galway (Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
(Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
Tom Watling21 October 2024 09:31
Tom Watling21 October 2024 08:59
Ferry passengers in western and northern Scotland are facing a second day of disruption due to the impact of Storm Ashley and issues with the overstretched fleet of ships.
Caledonian MacBrayne has cancelled all ferries between Oban, Barra and South Uist today, as well as from Mallaig to Armadale on the island of Skye.
Between Bute and the mainland, ferries that normally serve Wemyss Bay are being diverted to Gourock instead.
Storm damage at Uig on the isle of Skye means ferries to and from Tarbert on the isle of Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist may instead divert to Ullapool.
Northlink Ferries connecting Orkney and Shetland with mainland Scotland are being delayed, with the Stromness to Scrabster link operating around five hours behind schedule. The afternoon’s sailing from Lerwick to Kirkwall and Aberdeen has been brought forward by an hour “due to the adverse weather”.
(Getty)
Tom Watling21 October 2024 08:33