Flood warnings are being issued in parts of the UK for today, as Storm Barra’s last blow is expected to batter Britain with heavy rain and 80mph winds.
Met Office notices were issued after yesterday’s tempest, which left many parts of Britain without electricity.
This was after thousands of households across Scotland and North-East England lost power for as much as 10 days following 100mph winds, lashing rain and other severe weather conditions at the beginning of November.
Northern Powergrid did not confirm that all houses were wired on Tuesday as promised.
Storm Barra came in from the west Tuesday. Yellow weather warnings for wind are in effect until 6pm for west coast Wales and south west England.
Met Office warns of delays in road, rail and air transport and also warns about the possibility for short-term power outages and loss.
Aberdaron, in Gwynedd in Wales, that is included in the warning was battered on Tuesday by gales at 86 mph, while Orlock Head, in Co Down (N Ireland), faced gusts of 76 mph.
Met Office forecasters say Storm Barra won’t cause as much disruption as Storm Arwen. However, it caused delays to travel and school closures across Scotland.
With one hour left before high tide, Storm Barra caused massive crashing waves on Aberystwyth’s beachfront.
Storm Barra crashes onto the Westward Ho seafront! High tide last night in North Devon, amid weather warnings
One person attempts to clear the road after Storm Barra and high tide in Aberystwyth last night created huge waves on the promenade.
Storm Barra, a storm from Scotland’s Mull of Galloway west coast at Port Logan yesterday
Barra was named for BBC NI meteor presenter
Storm Barra was named for a BBC Northern Ireland weather forecaster.
Barra Best said that he received an inquiry from Met Eireann earlier in the year, asking about the origins his name. He was soon making headlines, despite warnings about the possible damage this storm would cause.
BBC Northern Ireland weather presenter Barra Best
He told the BBC’s Evening Extra programme: ‘What happened was the head of Irish weather service Met Eireann called me in August and asked me where my name was from.
I thought it was strange.
He added: “She said that it was fine. She said that she would let me know in about one month. The email arrived and the names were listed. She had also decided to include my name on the list.
Nicky Maxey spoke out, saying that Barra will not have the same negative effects as Arwen.
Strong winds and heavy rainfall will be a part of ‘Storm Barra, which is expected to hit many areas in the UK today. It is possible that we will see snow higher up.
“It’s unlikely that it will have the same impact as Storm Arwen, but it will still bring blustery weather to people so they should be ready.”
ScotRail warned that services may be cancelled due to today’s storm. Today’s temperatures are expected to be moderate for today. London is forecasted to receive 7C, 8C from Cardiff and 4C from Edinburgh. Belfast will see 6C.
The Environment Agency issued 11 flood warnings in England for locations such as Hartlepool in the North East and Sunderland (North East), Bournemouth (South), and parts of the Cumbrian coastline.
A total of 66 flood alerts have been issued for areas in the country where flooding could occur.
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), has issued 11 flood warnings and five alerts to areas in Scotland’s north-east and south-west.
Natural Resources Wales issued 11 flood warnings and 11 alerts in response to flooding, mostly in coastal areas.
Yesterday saw most of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland on alert. There were wind warnings from the Met Office for travel disruption. A band of snow was forecast to cause blizzards further north.
This afternoon, 56,000 people and businesses were without electricity in Republic of Ireland. Twelve counties had schools shut down. A government official stated that Barra was only halfway through the storm and there could still be strong winds ahead. There were also 4000 properties without power in Northern Ireland.
Weather forecasters claimed Barra was a “weather bomb”, another term for an “explosive cycleogenesis”, which is an explosion of pressure that occurs in the middle of an area with low pressure.
Barra dropped from 1017mb pressure at 6 AM yesterday to 961mb today. This means that Barra experienced a 56mb drop within 24 hours, which was more than twice the required criteria to make it a weather bomb.
Met Office meteorologists added that forecast maps were showing small breaks in the ‘line convection’ – a narrow band of very intense rain and gales – which can be signs of some rotation of weak funnel clouds or tornadoes.
Storm Barra made landfall on the A702 in South Lanarkshire, near Coulter.
A stunning video was taken from within the Fastnet Lighthouse’s lantern. The footage showed the massive waves that crashed against the structure during the hurricane. This is eight miles away in County Cork.
As Storm Barra hits Cornwall, Waves batter Penzance’s coast at dawn yesterday as waves batter Penzance.
As Storm Barra strikes the UK, a man places sandbags in front of a Langstone property, Hampshire.
Specialized Firefighters respond to partial roof collapse on the Chill Factore indoor skiing slope in Manchester
Storm Barra’s strong winds ripped off a section of the roof. This left sheets of corrugated steel unsecured at 165 feet.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Boris Johnson stated Monday that more than 1000 homes are still without electricity. However, Phil Jones, Northern Powergrid boss, assured him that all affected properties will be connected tomorrow (Tuesday at latest).
Johnson declared that “too many people” had been without power too long and said the northern England situation was unacceptable.
Weather forced schools in Dumfries, Galloway to close. Stranraer Academy closed because of structural damage caused by wind to its roof. Drummore School was also shut down after trees fell.
Yesterday’s photographs showed massive waves crashing into Cornwall and Devon as the tempest of 1,000 miles roared into Britain. Flooding also hit some parts of Ireland, and snow fell in the north.
Barra is moving in from the West and recorded gusts of 67 mph on the Isles of Scilly. In Ireland, Sherkin Island saw gusts of 83 mph.
Amazing footage was taken from within the Fastnet Lighthouse lantern. The video shows huge waves hitting the structure at the Atlantic 8 miles away in County Cork during the storm.
Chris Page from the BBC Ireland correspondent advised that people should’stay inside if possible’ in Northern Ireland, which will be the most affected by the storm. Although almost the entire country is currently under wind warning, Page said it was best to avoid going outside. It expires tonight at midnight for most parts of the UK, however there’s a wind warning in place for South West England until tomorrow at 6pm.
According to forecasters, larger waves could cause damage in the coastal area if wild winds blow street furniture or beach materials into the atmosphere. Yesterday’s 35ft wave was recorded in South West Ireland.