Storm Barra: More ice, wind, and rain to come, along with flooding – Sky News

The storm hit on Tuesday, as some parts of the UK were still recovering from the previous storm – Arwen, which left thousands of homes without power.
Wednesday 8 December 2021 11:38, UK
Storm Barra is not quite done with the UK yet – more ice, wind, and rain are on the way, with flooding expected in some parts.
Dozens of flood warnings have been issued across the UK, even as communities in the North East and Scotland are still recovering from the last storm – Arwen, which hit almost two weeks ago.
Storm Barra arrived from the west on Tuesday, and a Met Office yellow warning for wind remains in place until 6pm on Wednesday for the west coast of Wales and southwest England.
Wales and Northern Ireland saw some of the most powerful gusts on Tuesday – Aberdaron, in Gwynedd, saw gales of 86mph, while Orlock Head, in Co Down, faced 76mph.
Dozens of flood alerts
The Environment Agency has issued 11 flood warnings for England, including Hartlepool and Sunderland in the North East, Bournemouth and Weymouth in the South, and part of the Cumbrian coast.
There are also 66 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.
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In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 11 flood alerts and five flood warnings for parts of the northeast and southwest.
Natural Resources Wales issued 12 flood warnings and 11 alerts, mainly for coastal areas.
Barra won’t be as bad as Arwen – but it will be blustery
Met Office spokeswoman Nicky Maxey said: “We are not expecting the impacts of Barra to be as bad as we saw with Arwen.
“Storm Barra will bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to many parts of the UK today.
“We may see some snow on the higher ground, too.
“It is unlikely to be as impactful as Storm Arwen last week, but there will be blustery conditions, so people should still be prepared.”
Thousands of homes without power
Some of the worst weather from Barra was seen in the Republic of Ireland, where around 38,000 homes were still without power on Tuesday evening, with many not expected to be reconnected for days.
The country saw winds of up to 130kph (80mph) and Met Eireann meteorologist Liz Walsh said these would not ease completely until late on Wednesday afternoon.
The Department of Education said on Tuesday that any school currently or forecast to be in a red or orange alert area should remain closed on Wednesday.
It means schools in Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cork, and Kerry remain closed.
The warnings also cover Waterford, Limerick, Clare, Galway, Mayo, and Wexford.
Up in Scotland, some schools were closed due to the weather – and ScotRail has said that some Wednesday rail services will be cancelled.
Around 1,000 homes in the northeast of Scotland remain without power, due to the damage from Arwen and Barra.
Transport for Wales has also implemented an amended timetable, with almost 70 trains cancelled.
The blustery weather has also ripped part of a school’s roof off in Wales. Bryngwyn Comprehensive School in Llanelli shut on Tuesday afternoon following gusts of more than 70mph.
No one was injured as people had left the school already, but students were told to stay home on Wednesday.
In the north of England, thousands of homes had been left without power after Arwen brought 100mph winds.
© 2021 Sky UK

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