Severe gales and heavy rain are sweeping across the UK as travellers face disruption from Storm Ciara.
Airlines have cancelled dozens of domestic and international flights, while several rail firms have urged passengers not to travel.
Ferry passengers also face delays and cancellations, while drivers have been warned to take extra care.
An amber weather warning for wind is in place for most of the UK, which has been hit by gusts exceeding 90mph.
More than 250 flood warnings have been issued around the UK.
Sporting events have also been called off because of the adverse weather, including Manchester City’s Premier League match against West Ham.
Heathrow Airport said it had taken the joint decision with its airline partners to operate a reduced timetable to minimise the number of flights cancelled at short notice.
British Airways has cancelled some flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City, while Virgin Atlantic has posted a number of cancelled flights on its website.
Network Rail has imposed a blanket speed restriction of 50mph across the network on Sunday, warning passengers to only travel by train that day “if absolutely necessary”.
The rail firms which issued “do not travel” warnings for Sunday were Gatwick Express, Grand Central, Great Northern, Hull Trains, LNER, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink and TransPennine Express.
Flooding and debris on the tracks have caused delays and cancellations to many services.
Some of the routes affected by the weather include:
- Edinburgh Waverley Station – closed to new passengers because of overcrowding
- Avanti West Coast – no trains running north of Preston
- Grand Central – all services cancelled on Sunday
- Cross Country – line blocked between Birmingham New Street and Derby
Ferry services have also been affected, with all services suspended at the Port of Dover because of strong winds.
DFDS has also cancelled all its ferries between Newhaven and Dieppe.
Elsewhere, firefighters in Blackpool had to rescue a motorist whose car got stuck in floodwater. Blackpool Council tweeted that some properties were being evacuated.
Wales has been hit by the strongest winds so far, with a 93mph gust recorded in Aberdaron, north-west Wales, followed by 86mph in Capel Curig in Snowdonia.
Yellow weather warnings now cover the whole of the UK until midnight on Sunday.
An amber warning for wind is in place across much of England and Wales until 21:00 GMT on Sunday. The Met Office advises wind-blown debris and large waves could pose a danger to life.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said the size of the amber warning was very unusual, and showed how widespread the impact of Storm Ciara would be.
“It’s not just coastal parts which are likely to see gusts of 70-80mph, but even inland areas, which don’t usually see those strengths of wind,” he said.
He added that those winds, combined with heavy rain would cause significant problems around the country. Already more than 100mm of rain has fallen in some parts of northern England and north Wales.
The Environment Agency has issued more than 190 flood warnings – meaning flooding is expected – in England, while there are almost 60 warnings in Scotland, and 13 in Wales.
The Queen did not attend church in Sandringham, Norfolk, because of “public safety reasons” due to the weather.
Other effects of the storm include:
- Scotland’s Women’s Six Nations match against England has been postponed
- Four Women’s Super League matches have been called off, including Liverpool against Everton, where more than 20,000 fans were expected
- Horse racing at Exeter, Southwell and Punchestown has been cancelled
- The London Winter Run 10k – due to be attended by 25,000 runners – was cancelled
- London’s eight Royal Parks, which include Hyde Park and Regent’s Park, are closed on Sunday
- The Dartford Crossing in Kent is closed to traffic
The Met Office has also issued yellow warnings for Monday for wind and snow in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and snow and ice across north-west England.
In January, Storm Brendan swept into the UK, leading to power cuts and travel disruption.
This year’s storm names have already been chosen, with Dennis due to be the name for the next storm.
Source: BBC
