Storm Bert has battered Ireland and parts of the UK, causing severe flooding and widespread disruption. Dramatic incidents occurred in Donegal as high-flowing water turned roads such as Bridge Street into rivers, raising concerns for public safety.
TransLink, a public transport company in Northern Ireland, has warned customers to prepare for “severe disruption” and seek alternative travel options as a result of the massive damage caused to Northern Ireland’s railway infrastructure. The storm’s impacts highlight the region’s continued susceptibility to severe weather.
Storm Bert left at least 60,000 properties in Ireland without power and closed roads and some ferry and train routes on both sides of the Irish Sea.
Hurricane Bert hits Britain and Ireland???? #stormburt
– 60,000 Irish homes and businesses lost power
– Roads have become impassable due to floods in Donegal, Ireland
– Rail routes suspended in Scotland
– Weather warnings issued for wind, snow and ice across the UK
– “Status Red” warning declared… pic.twitter.com/TwGJdRI8D5– Weather Monitors (@Weathermonitors) 23 November 2024
Media footage showed flooding in the west of Ireland, while flooding caused rail closures in Northern Ireland and snow disrupted travel across Britain.
The heaviest snowfall occurred in Scotland and parts of northern and central England, with flood warnings issued in dozens of places.
The UK Met Office issued ice and snow warnings for those areas, warning that there was “a good chance that some rural communities could be cut off.”
Scottish hills could see up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) of snow, while parts of Britain recorded winds of up to 70 miles (113 kilometers) per hour.
Ferry operator DFDS canceled services on some routes until Monday, severely affecting sailings from Newhaven and Dover in southern England to Dieppe and Calais in France.
Heavy snowfall caused disruption to flights at Newcastle Airport, with some flights diverted to Belfast and Edinburgh.
The Irish national meteorological service, Met Éireann, also issued a yellow warning for “very strong winds and heavy rain”.
In Ireland, power outages hit the western and north-western counties the most, according to ESB Networks, which runs the country’s electricity system.
“Crews and contractors have been deployed and are restoring power to affected areas where it is safe to do so,” it said.
More than 4,000 properties across Britain were without power by mid-Saturday – the majority of which were in south-west England – with the National Grid operator saying power had been restored to “many homes and businesses”.
(With inputs from AFP)
