Storm Barney Batters UK >Thousands W.O. Power
 

Thousands Without Power As Barney Batters UK


The second UK storm strong enough to be named leaves several thousand homes without power and causes rail chaos.

SKY News 19 November 2015



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Storm Barney has battered Britain with gusts of more than 80mph, leaving thousands of homes without power and causing severe delays for rail passengers.


Around 6,000 homes were without power in North and Mid Wales, while around 2,500 homes were affected in the West Midlands.

The highest winds were recorded at 83mph in coastal areas of North Wales.

Barney brought gusts of up to 66mph to the villages of Weybourne in Norfolk, and Wittering in Cambridgeshire.

It also caused delays to trains in Birmingham, Staffordshire, Bedford and London after trees were blown on to tracks and overhead power cables, according to National Rail.

Barney, caused by a series of low pressure systems from the Atlantic, was the second UK storm deemed strong enough to be given its own name after Abigail hit last week.

The worst of Barney was over by Wednesday morning, but Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang said there would be more wet and windy conditions.

"Barney swept across southern Britain bringing widespread gales with inland gusts around 55 to 60mph. Along exposed coasts higher gusts of 70 to 85mph were reported," she said. "Power lines and trees were brought down.



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A metal advertising tower at the Fort Shopping Park was knocked over

"That storm has now cleared away and today we are looking at another Atlantic depression, this time not as deep and not as far south as Barney.

"It will bring yet more wet and windy weather though."

In Birmingham, Barney brought gusts strong enough to bring down a metal advertising tower at the Fort Shopping Park. No one was injured.

The storm also caused the roof on a block of flats in Leigh, Greater Manchester, to collapse on Tuesday evening.
The two-storey building in Wilkinson Street was evacuated and police shut the road as fire crews ensured people were safe. Half of the property was deemed unsafe for residents to return on Tuesday night.

In Heywood, a large tree crashed on to the roof of a house in Grasmere Avenue. Two people were inside but were not hurt. A large tree also fell on to a house in Goodwood Avenue, Sale, with part of the roof collapsing.

In Hertfordshire, a fallen tree near Bishop's Stortford caused delays to rail services between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport.

Fallen trees also stopped all London Midland rush-hour services between Lichfield in Staffordshire, Coseley in the West Midlands and Birmingham.