Storm Jocelyn - live: Thousands remain without power after 97mph winds wreaked havoc across the country
Flights and trains cancelled across country as commuters urged to check their routes before starting journeys
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The UK and Ireland are reeling from the destruction of Storm Jocelyn whose 97mph winds caused major travel chaos and have left thousands without power.
Approximately 12,000 homes and businesses remain without power across the Republic of Ireland following storms Isha and Jocelyn.
Earlier on Wednesday, NIE Networks said power had been restored to more than 52,000 customers since Sunday evening in Northern Ireland.
However, 1,200 remained without power on Wednesday morning.
Rail services to and from Scotland have been suspended until at least noon today, with Network Rail Scotland saying it had dealt with incidents of flooding, fallen trees and a shed roof blowing onto a high wall above a track on Tuesday evening.
Avanti West Coast also told passengers not to travel north of Preston until at least noon on Wednesday.
It comes as the coastguard launched an urgent search on Tuesday evening following reports of a person in the sea in Porthcawl, south Wales.
The alarm was raised just before 6pm but after several hours of searching in the treacherous conditions, the search was suspended in the early hours of Wednesday before it resumed as light returned.
‘Government has learned lessons from past storms,’ says Cabinet Office minister
Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart insisted the Government had learned lessons from past storms, and taken greater efforts to prepare for future extreme weather events.
He told the Commons: “What we have seen over the past few years is a notable improvement in storm preparedness and response.
“If we remember Storm Arwen a few years ago, after three days there were still about 40,000 people without power.
“These storms that we have just had were very powerful, about 400,000 people lost power to their homes, but 99% of them had power restored within 24 hours.
“That is as a result of the planning and preparedness that this Government has put in place.”
Update in search for missing man
The coastguard launched an urgent search on Tuesday evening following reports of a person in the sea in Porthcawl, south Wales.
The alarm was raised just before 6pm but after several hours of searching in the treacherous conditions, the search was suspended in the early hours of Wednesday before it resumed as light returned.
A spokesman for HM Coastguard told Wales Online: “HM Coastguard has resumed a shoreline search this morning in Porthcawl, at the request of South Wales Police, with coastguard rescue teams sent from Porthcawl, Port Talbot, Oxwich and Barry Island. For further details, please contact the police.”
National rail warn ‘check before you travel'
A yellow warning remains in place across the country as Storm Jocelyn continues to cause travel disruption.
Network Rail says despite conditions improving, rail passengers must check their journey before travelling as more delays and cancellations are expected across England, Wales and Scotland.
Powerful winds can lead trees and debris to block tracks and damage power lines and can also lead trains to have to run at slower speeds.
Heavy rainfall can lead to flooding which can affect train mobility and electrical systems.
Pictured- Trampoline blew onto line at Livingston South
Labour slams government’s handling of extreme weather events
The Government should have a standing taskforce to build up long-term protections before future freak weather events, Labour has said.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden called for the change as he raised an urgent question in the Commons about Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn, which have brought disruption and power cuts across the UK in recent days, and resulted in the deaths of four people in Britain and Ireland.
Mr McFadden told the Commons: “Our constituents around the country have been hit by widespread damage, flooding, power outages, cancellation of flights, ferries and trains, and in the most tragic circumstances a reported four people have lost their lives.”
He added: “Of course ministers can’t control the weather. Indeed the ex-ministers on the benches opposite can’t even control themselves. But the greater regularity and severity of extreme weather demands a response from Government.
“So let me ask the minister, in terms of resilience, given the frequency of extreme weather events why doesn’t the Government have a standing flood resilience taskforce as part of the Cobra system with a specific responsibility to build up long-term protection?”
Extreme flooding in York
Streets in Yorks were pictured completely flooded on Wednesday after the River Ouse burst its banks amid strong winds and heavy rain brought by Storm Jocelyn.
There are currently three flood warnings and two flood alerts in place in the area which warn locals to avoid using low-lying footpaths and any bridges near local watercourses and urge them not to attempt to walk or drive through flood water.
Brick wall falls onto car amid extreme wind speeds
A brick wall has fallen onto a car in Cullercoats, North Tyneside as Storm Jocelyn continues to bring extreme winds to the UK.
Gusts reached top speeds of 97mph in some areas, with a yellow weather warning for wind remaining in place for much of the UK today.
Trampoline on train tracks halts services
Scottish railway workers were tasked with removing a trampoline that had blown onto train tracks as Storm Jocelyn continued to wreak havoc on travel.
The massive trampoline was reported by a member of the public near Livingston South to Network Rail Scotland this morning. The company then temporarily switched off the overhead wires to remove it safely.
Dramatic video of sea rescue as person missing
An urgent search was launched last night after a woman was seen in the water in Porthcawl, south Wales.
The alarm was raised just before 6pm but after several hours of searching in the treacherous conditions, the search was suspended in the early hours of Wednesday.
Rescue teams from Porthcawl, Port Talbot, Llantwit Major and Llansteffan took part in the search, and joined by an HM Coastguard helicopter from St Athan and the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboats from Mumbles and Barry Dock.
Mumbles Lifeboat RNLI shared dramatic footage of the operation and Lifeboat coxswain Josh Stewart said: “I’m immensely proud of our crews enthusiasm and professionalism last night.
“The conditions were some of the worst they’ll ever have to launch into. The swell was well over 5m high and beam on which made visual search pretty tricky but it’s what we train for and while we didn’t get the result we wanted I’m still proud of our crew who made every effort to find the casualty.
“Our thoughts are with the casualties family and friends at this time”
You can watch the footage here.
Planes struggle to land as Storm Jocelyn brings strong winds
Air travel has been thrown into chaos in recent days as both Storm Isha and Storm Jocelyn brought intense gusts of wind preventing planes from sticking their landings smoothly.
Eight flights were cancelled at Dublin Airport and four at Glasgow Airport on Tuesday evening and over the weekend planes were forced to divert from Dublin to Paris.
This morning, planes at Leeds Bradford Airport were pictured on the runway determined not to let the weather deter their journeys.
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