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Storm Ciarán’s 104mph winds leave ‘disaster zone’ as huge ‘golfball’ hailstones batter UK – & it’s just the start
Some UK schools have been closed as the storm hit overnight with red warnings in place
STORM Ciarán's 104mph winds have left a "disaster zone" with huge "golf ball" hailstones battering the UK - and it's just the start.
Brits woke up to scenes of chaos this morning, with pupils forced to stay at home, trees toppling onto houses and families rescued in dinghies.
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Dozens of people were evacuated from homes, three were left in hospital and schools were closed to protect kids.
Much of Britain was urged to stay safe as the band of stormy weather hit at around 6pm yesterday evening - with the wild conditions getting worse today.
The government has issued 73 flood warnings and 182 alerts across the UK.
A yellow warning will come into force from 6am to 6pm tomorrow for north east England and eastern Scotland, with a chance of flooding and power cuts.
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The Met Office has issued another yellow warning for Saturday, when heavy rain will drench the south coast from Portsmouth to Kent from 3pm until midnight.
Residents in Jersey were urged to stay at home - with Jersey Police recording winds of 104mph.
The chairman of Jersey's Consumer Council said Storm Ciaran hitting the island was like a "scene from a disaster movie".
Carl Walker, 45, said: "I don't think anyone expected it to be quite as bad as it was."
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He and his family were woken by huge hailstorms at midnight, which he said were "marble-sized" and had gelled together to create "golf ball sized lumps of ice".
The dad-of-three said: "We camped out in our living room downstairs with our children because it was just simply too noisy and too frightening to be upstairs in the bedrooms.
"Tiles were lifting, debris was hitting the roof, windows were flexing
"The noise of the wind was just incredible and quite frightening. It was like a scene from a disaster movie."
He added: "The area is scattered with debris, whether it be roof tiles, bits of masonry, large pieces of trees .
" The authorities here are doing what they can to focus on opening up the main roads and help people whose homes have been ruined."
Jersey man Paul de Castro told : "There is a big hole in my window, my son's bedroom, the full window
"The full window is broken, glass all over my son."
Aviaries and outdoor enclosures were damaged at the GSPCA animal rescue shelter on nearby Guernsey.
P&O Ferries has cancelled all services from Dover to Calais "until further notice", with flights delayed from some UK airports.
National Highways East said that the A14 Orwell Bridge in Suffolk is closed in both directions - with one mile of congestion on either side of the crossing.
The Tornado and Storm Research has warned that the south of England could even be hit by a 90mph twister today.
There have been reports of a tornado in Jersey - but the local weather service is yet to confirm it.
Locals on the island also spotted hailstones "the size of a golf ball" plummeting from the sky.
And in a post on Twitter, now known as X, at around 03.30am, Jersey police said that it had already moved 39 people due to storm damage to their homes overnight, while three others have been taken to hospital.
They said: "So far tonight 29 adults, 6 children and 7 pets have been relocated in hotel accommodation due to property damage. Four people and a cat have relocated to another address and 3 people have been taken to A&E."
A new yellow warning has been issued for Saturday, covering London and the south east from 3pm until midnight.
A clip shared online showed the shocking moment a window shattered and blew towards a mother and her baby in St Helier, Jersey's biggest town.
It comes as...
- More than 300 schools have been closed across the UK
- Wind gusts officially reached 104mph in Jersey
- Police on the Channel Islands said about 40 people have been evacuated from their homes due to fierce winds
- The wild weather comes just two weeks after Storm Babet brought flooding with seven people killed
Around 16,000 households in the path of the storm are without power, an Energy Networks Association spokesman told The Sun.
The National Grid said that 8,500 homes in Cornwall were without powers as of this morning.
Local councillor Martyn Alvey told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that workers were scrambling to switch the power back on for "vulnerable people" in coastal areas.
In Dorset holidaymakers had to be rescued in dinghies from their chalets in Burton Bradstock.
Fire engines, an ambulance and a coastguard helicopter were spotted at the holiday park, with five chalets damaged and several caravans dragged towards the sea.
A caravan park in Tenby, south Wales was evacuated after it flooded.
Camper Katie Walters said: "The majority of the park is underwater, and it's going to rise."
A major incident was also declared in Hampshire, Jersey and on the Isle of Wight.
Forecasters have warned that Storm Ciaran could pose a "risk to life" as winds of up to 80mph are expected in coastal areas.
The storm has already left one person dead in France, where 1.2million homes are without power.
This has led to the closure of schools in Jersey, Southampton, Isle of Wight and some across Devon and Cornwall.
Popular ferry services have similarly been suspended amid red weather warnings in the Channel Islands.
Both freight and passenger routes have been cut by Condor Ferries today, and DFDS has cancelled select services from East Sussex to France.
There are also expected delays and cancellations on their Dover to Calais routes.
It comes as the Jersey Met Service predicted winds of up to 98mph could hit the coast this morning.
At present there are also two amber weather warnings for wind in place across the whole of the south of England.
The alert covering the south west coast is in place until 11am, while the south east can expect to see some relief by 5pm.
Meanwhile a yellow warning for wind has been issued across Wales today which is in affect until midnight tomorrow.
Moving north up the UK, another yellow level alert for rain has been placed over areas in the Midlands - it is in place until the same time.
Finally from 6am until 6pm, a similar rain warning covers Newcastle and stretches up along eastern Scotland.
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The Met Office told Brits affected they can expect possible "danger to life" from flying debris.
"Damage to buildings and homes is possible, with roofs blown off and trees and power lines brought down," a spokesperson added.
"Roads, bridges and railway lines may close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights."
Power outages and mobile phone coverage are also likely to suffer as a result of the storm.
Meanwhile, "large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties" is also a concern for those in coastal communities.
Met Office forecasters have also warned there is a "small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings" in areas under yellow weather warnings.
"Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services," they added.
"Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures."
There is also a possibility areas will be cut off by flooding and power could be lost.
This comes after much of the UK descended into caused chaos across last week as heavy rain caused flooding.
On Sunday, Lanchester Village, in County Durham, homes and businesses became submerged in water over night.
Most roads through the town were cordoned off as emergency services work to help those affected.
And, torrential rain wreaked havoc in London as commuters navigate waterlogged junctions in the city.
Meanwhile, Littlehampton, in Sussex, was even hit by a "tornado" which saw an entire roof being ripped from a property.
The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) told the a "definite tornado" hit the area after a site investigation.
Elsewhere, in West Sussex, a Bognor Regis Tesco car park was spotted completely underwater due to flooding.
On Saturday a shopping centre was forced to evacuate following flooding in a major seaside town.
Elsewhere in the country, stranded vehicles were spotted in a Gloucestershire town car park as flood warnings remained in place.
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Meanwhile, the River Stour, in Christchurch Harbour, Dorset also burst its banks after torrential rain.
It came just after Storm Babet tragically left seven people dead and thousands of homes underwater.
Age UK's top tips for older people
These are Age UK's top tips for older people caught in the middle of Storm Ciaran:
- Secure loose objects in gardens like tools or ladders.
- Stay indoors as much as is possible. If you do need to go out be careful of exposed areas where there might be strong side winds.
- Keep an eye on the weather forecast.
- Telephone 105. Remember the number 105, which is a free number, to find information during a power cut.
- Write down or print emergency contact numbers, including your fire and rescue service, local authority flood services, local Age UK, energy, water and phone suppliers and distributors, and insurer. Put them somewhere you will remember and can easily access, e.g. by your fridge, phone or door.
- Check in on older neighbours and relatives who live alone, are ill or with mobility problems or those particularly at risk, who rely on an oxygen machine or stairlift, as well as those with long-standing illnesses and difficulties who can’t easily get out of the house.
- Sign up to your energy distributor’s Priority Services Register to receive additional help in a power cut. There is more information available .
- Make sure you have everything you need. Check you've got enough medication and food in case it's harder to leave the house. A bottle of water could be handy if the water supply is interrupted.
- Have torches handy around the home in case of a power cut. And some spare batteries too.
- Plan ahead when driving. Try to avoid going out in the car in bad weather if possible, and make sure you follow advice on driving conditions near you. If you do need to go out, pack up the following kit in case you get stuck: blankets, a bottle of water or flask of hot drink, some snacks, a shovel, a de-icer or scraper, a mobile phone and charger.
WEATHER WARNINGS
What to expect, according to the Met Office
- There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
- Where flooding occurs, there is a slight chance of delays or cancellations to train and bus services
- Spray and flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures
- There is a small chance that some communities will become cut off by flooded roads
- There is a slight chance of power cuts and loss of other services to some homes and businesses
STAYING SAFE
Five tips for staying safe in a storm, according to the Met Office
- Check if your property is at risk - if so prepare a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.
- Stay safe in flooding - park your car outside the flood zone, store valuables and electrical devices high up, turn off gas, water, and electricity supplies.
- Secure loose items such as bins, plant pots, garden furniture, trampolines and lock shed doors.
- Is it safe for you to drive? If you must drive, slow down, use main roads, dipped headlights and keep a bigger gap between vehicles.
- During a power cut:
- Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn’t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.
- Leave a light on, so you know when the power cut has been fixed.
- Check to see if your neighbours are safe and if they have a power cut too. If they have power, your trip switch may have activated.
- If it's cold, wrap up warm and close internal doors to keep the heat in.
- Portable heaters are a good alternative if heating systems are down.
- Call 105 for information, it’s a free service for people in England, Scotland and Wales
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