Severe weather warnings remain in place across parts of the UK as heavy rain and strong winds continue to cause disruption. A major incident has been declared in Somerset after homes and businesses were flooded, forcing around 100 people to be evacuated, some by boat. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for south-west and southern England until 10am on Tuesday, and another for south and mid-Wales until 9pm.
In Cornwall, the hamlet of Trenarren near St Austell was cut off after a tree fell in strong winds, blocking the only road. Supplies were passed over the fallen tree to stranded villagers. The Environment Agency reported 31 flood warnings in England, including for the River Avon around Bristol and the River Severn at Tewkesbury, and 168 flood alerts. In Wales, nine flood alerts were in place, including for the River Wye and the west coast of Anglesey.
The bad weather is linked to Storm Herminia, which brought gusts of 84mph and almost 60mm of rainfall to parts of southern England on Monday. Ben Lukey, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, warned that impacts could continue into Wednesday and Thursday, urging people to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through flood water.
Meanwhile, repair teams from across Europe have arrived in Ireland to help restore power after Storm Éowyn, with more than 100,000 homes still without electricity four days after the storm. The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) said support from the UK, Austria, Finland, the Netherlands and France has been deployed. Communities in rural Ireland have been left without power, heating, and water, raising concerns for elderly and isolated residents.
One man was killed when a tree fell on his car during Storm Éowyn, which brought winds of 113mph in Galway, the worst in 80 years. Scotland’s first minister John Swinney described the storm as a warning about climate change. The Met Office expects conditions to improve gradually from Wednesday.
