Storm Ciarán hits UK and damages some parts of the country
Storm Ciarán has already affected France and the south of the UK.
The storm arrived through France and has affected the Channel Islands
By Javier López-Cuervo
The second storm in two weeks, Storm Ciarán, has already made landfall over some parts of the United Kingdom including the Channel Islands and a few areas in the south of the country. The rainfall has already passed Plymouth and is set to reach London in the next hours. Nevertheless, experts state that the rain in the capital will be the same as usual in a day of November. BBC weather presenter Matt Taylor informs that “the good news is that, in terms of the highest wind speeds, the worst is now over for most”.
The authorities have warned about the risk of Ciarán and have evacuated some residential areas. Meteorologists have alleged that the storm is bringing “wind damage” and “a lot of rain” and forecasters have informed to be careful because lives could be in danger. Many people in the island of Jersey had to be relocated to hotels due to the wind of 102 mph speed which damaged some homes in the city.
Moreover, more than 300 schools have been shut in southern England. The witnesses and affected people claim that the high-speed wind has broken windows and doors, smashed roofs and blown litters and walls. Also, the trees have uprooted and fallen down onto houses. Storm Ciarán is expected to reach West Midlands in the afternoon, as there are multiple alerts of flooding in the zone. In fact, at this moment there are 191 flood alerts across England, 13 in Wales and 7 in Scotland.
However, Coventry will not suffer too much from the effects of the storm, although it will be subject to torrential rain that will continue throughout the afternoon. Warwickshire is on alert for possible flooding of the River Swift. The storm will spread throughout the Midlands although in a considerably smaller way.
Forecasters have warned that the storm has recorded historic winds and has left thousands of people without electricity. They agree that these may be the most violent gusts in recent decades. As it passed through France, Ciarán left 1.2 million homes without electricity and a truck driver died after a tree fell in the road. Some airlines such as KLM have cancelled their flights to the United Kingdom, where meteorological agencies have warned of flood dangers.
According to Press Association, railway companies have advised against travel in and out of London. Additionally, people have been urged to work from home. “It looks like a storm that happens once every few years in the United Kingdom and France,” said Yale Climate Connections meteorologist and science writer Bob Henson.
The tide level has also risen significantly and strong waves have hit the south of the United Kingdom.