Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
"Blizzards are expected in the Highlands - the Thames Barrier will be closed to protect London", reports Ben Moore
Large swathes of the UK are braced for a storm bringing with it gale-force winds, possible travel disruption and the risk of some coastal flooding.
Worst affected will be Scotland, where 100mph winds have hit, and the north and east of England, forecasters said.
Communities on England's east coast are being told to prepare later for the most serious tidal surge for 30 years.
The Environment Agency said the North Sea coast from Northumberland to the Thames Estuary was at risk.
The Thames Barrier is due to close on Thursday night to protect London from floods.
Flood defencesThe Environment Agency said the combination of high tides, gale-force winds, large waves and a tidal surge would bring a risk of significant coastal flooding. It expects 3,000 properties to be flooded within the next 24 hours.
In some places sea levels could be as high as those during the devastating floods of 1953 - although flood defences built since then meant many parts of the country were now better protected, it added.
"Start Quote
End Quote Pete Fox Environment AgencyAlong the East Coast, the high tide will be hitting in the hours of darkness this evening and tonight so people really need to take the daylight hours today to prepare"
The agency has more than 100 flood warnings and alerts in place, including 18 severe alerts for the East Anglia region - indicating danger to life.
Those likely to be affected include West Mersea in Essex, Southwold and Thorpeness in Suffolk, the Riverside Business park in Lowestoft, Suffolk, and along the Bure and Yare rivers in Great Yarmouth.
Environment Agency flood risk manager Pete Fox told BBC Breakfast that people in these coastal areas need to think about taking action to prepare themselves now.
He said: "The most important thing actually is that along the East Coast, the high tide will be hitting in the hours of darkness this evening and tonight so people really need to take the daylight hours today to prepare for the coastal and tidal flooding that we're predicting.
"We've been working with the emergency services for the last 24 hours or so gearing up for this event."
In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 11 flood warnings for Central; Edinburgh and Lothians; Fife; and Skye and Lochaber.
The Met Office has recorded gusts of 106mph at Glenogle in Stirlingshire and 114mph on the slopes of Aonach Mor near Fort William.
Other areas and services affected include:
- A major traffic route into Leeds City Centre will be closed on Thursday because of fears that a nearby skyscraper may generate freak winds
- Network Rail is warning travellers to expect delays in Scotland and northern and eastern England
- Scotrail says at least 20 routes will be out of service, and all other routes will not run until 07:00 GMT
- East Coast says it will run a revised timetable
- Scottish Hydro Electric says around 20,000 customers are without power, mainly in the north west Highlands. Some power is also out on the Western Isles and Orkney. This is expected to rise
- Northern Ireland Electricity says there are 4,800 customers without power
Regions under the Met Office's amber "be prepared" warning are Central, Tayside and Fife; East Midlands; East of England; Grampian; Highlands and Eilean Siar; North East England; North West England; Orkney and Shetland; South West Scotland, Lothian and Borders; Strathclyde; and Yorkshire and Humber.
This warning indicates likely travel delays from road and rail closures, power cuts and damage to properties.
London and South East England; Northern Ireland; Wales; and West Midlands have been placed under a yellow warning.
This tells people in the area to be aware of the possibility of severe weather and to expect some disruption to their activities and travel plans.
Forecasters say snow is likely to fall in the north of Scotland on Thursday, up to 5cm deep on low ground with 20cm possible on higher ground.
Tallest buildingA major traffic route into Leeds city centre will be closed on Thursday following warnings of high winds.
The road is the main route into the city from the south and is used every morning by thousands of vehicles.
It passes Yorkshire's tallest building - the Bridgewater Place tower - which a coroner ruled this week can influence wind conditions.
She recommended the junction beneath the skyscraper should be shut to all road users when wind speeds reach 45mph or more.
Leeds City Council says Victoria Road, as well as Water Lane and Neville Street, will be shut from 06:00 GMT on Thursday.
Network Rail has already warned customers in Scotland and parts of north and eastern England to expect delays.
Robin Gisby, Network Rail's director of operations, said ground conditions would be monitored through the night and into the morning, and teams were in place to react quickly to any damage caused by the weather.
He said as much of the network as possible would be kept open however speed restrictions and other measures might be necessary in the interests of safety.
Conditions across the UK are expected to have improved by the weekend.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Storm brings fear of wind and floods
Dengan url
https://sarapanoatmeal.blogspot.com/2013/12/storm-brings-fear-of-wind-and-floods.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Storm brings fear of wind and floods
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Storm brings fear of wind and floods
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar