Storm Ciara news: Man killed by falling tree and more than 500 homes flooded amid heavy rains

Follow how the day unfolded

Driver killed by falling tree during Storm Ciara

More than 20,000 homes have spent the night without power as the UK continues to reel from Storm Ciara.

UK Power Networks reported more than 18,500 properties across the east and southeast of England were still without power as of 5am Monday while Western Power Distribution said more than 2,800 homes were in the dark.

Parts of the UK continue to brace for blizzards and up to 20cm of snow in the wake of the storm, with travel disruption set to continue.

Some areas saw a month and a half’s rainfall in just 24 hours and gusts of more than 90mph swept across the country on Sunday. Meanwhile, 178 flood warnings in place across the country.

Key Points

• Commuters face travel chaos
• Flood warnings
• Race to reschedule sports fixtures
• Motorist killed by tree
• Second storm victim

[10 February 2020 07:45 · Chiara.Giordano]

Good morning and welcome to today's live blog.

We'll be bringing you all of the latest updates as the UK continues to feel the effects of Storm Ciara.

[10 February 2020 07:48 · Chiara.Giordano]

Weather warnings

A yellow warning for wind remains in force for the whole UK until midnight, with strong winds, heavy showers, snow and ice expected today.

Warnings for heavy snow and strong winds are also is in place for Northern Ireland and most of Scotland and a warning of snow and ice is in force for northwest England throughout Monday and Tuesday.

A yellow warning for wind in the South is in place between 10am and 5pm on Monday.

[10 February 2020 07:58 · Chiara.Giordano]

Flood warnings

 

Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria (PA)

There are currently 162 flood warnings and 265 alerts in place across the whole of the UK.

The town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, in Cumbria, was severely hit by flooding on Sunday.

While the River Irwell burst its banks in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, and areas including Blackpool, Whalley, Longton and Rossendale, were affected by flooding in Lancashire.

Find full details here

[10 February 2020 08:20 · Chiara.Giordano]

Railway disruption

 

(PA)A number of train services continue to be affected by the aftermath of Storm Ciara this morning.

National Rail updated its travel advice to warn travellers of disruption to the following operators:

Avanti West Coast

Cross Country

Great Western Railway

Heathrow Express

Hull Trains

LNER

London Northwestern Railway

Northern

ScotRail

South Western Railway

TfL Rail

TransPennine Express

Transport for Wales

West Midlands Railway

[10 February 2020 08:47 · Chiara.Giordano]

Fallen trees and debris cause rail disruption

For rail travellers the working week begins with widespread disarray after Storm Ciara wrought devastation on Sunday, writes travel correspondent Simon Calder.

Trains are likely to be extremely busy because passengers prevented from travelling on Sunday will be hoping to complete their journeys. 

Network Rail warns: “Damage to overhead lines and tracks caused by debris or fallen trees could severely impact passenger services on Monday 10 February.”

[10 February 2020 08:55 · Chiara.Giordano]

Storm Ciara helps British Airways beat flight record

A British Airways flight has likely broken the fastest-ever subsonic New York to London crossing time after reaching speeds of more than 800mph.

Passenger plane records over the Atlantic tumbled overnight on Saturday and Sunday as Storm Ciara hurtled towards Britain on the back of a 200mph jet stream.

According to Flightradar24, an online flight tracking service, a British Airways Boeing 747 departing JFK airport on Saturday reached Heathrow in 4 hours 56 minutes shortly after 11.20pm.

[10 February 2020 09:07 · Chiara.Giordano]

Flight delays

London Stansted and Gatwick airports are expecting delays and cancellations to flights in the wake of Storm Ciara.

Gatwick said it was expecting "some knock-on delays and cancellations to flights" in an update this morning.

The airport advised anyone planning to travel today to check the latest information about their flight with their airline.

Stansted said it was operating as normal but warned passengers to allow extra time for their journey as yesterday's flight cancellations have caused a "10 per cent uplift of departing passengers".

[10 February 2020 09:12 · Chiara.Giordano]

[10 February 2020 09:36 · Chiara.Giordano]

Football club does not have money to repair broken stand

Wisbech Town FC has admitted it could struggle to repair an entire stand destroyed by powerful winds during Storm Ciara.

The non-league football club shared photos on Twitter of the north stand at Fenland Stadium, in Cambridgeshire, which they said has been "completely destroyed".

Spencer Larham, secretary of the club, told PA: "It's been there 10 years - since the stadium was built - and has survived stronger winds than this but it was the direction which did the damage.

"I've spoken to our chairman Paul Brenchley and he says we're looking at £20,000 minimum to remove and replace that stand."

Mr Larham told BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money programme that the sum "isn't money we have lying around".

[10 February 2020 09:53 · Chiara.Giordano]

Race to reschedule football fixtures

Leading sport administrators must strive to rearrange a slew of fixtures which were postponed on Sunday due to Storm Ciara.

Winds up to 85mph battered the UK and Ireland, leading to football, horse racing, rugby union and rugby league fixtures being scrapped, and now the race is on to rejig schedules as quickly as possible.

Manchester City’s Premier League clash with West Ham, Sunday’s two Super League games between Huddersfield and Leeds, and Wakefield and Catalans Dragons, and the entire Women’s Super League programme all fell foul of the weather.