Met Office warns of travel chaos in galeforce winds as hundreds of trains cancelled on New Year’s Eve - live

New Year’s Eve plans across Britain have been left in tatters today as the Met Office warns that galeforce winds are set to bring severe travel disruption.

The forecasters have issued two yellow weather warnings for wind across southern England and Wales and rain in northwestern England.

Brits can expect 75mph winds and lashing rain to bring flooding and delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport as they enter 2024.

It comes as several rail companies have warned passengers not to travel amid staff shortages just one day after a flooded tunnel left 30,000 Eurostar passengers stranded.

Northern Trains has issued a Do Not Travel notice for 31 December on links from Manchester Victoria to Chester and Stalybridge, and from Manchester Piccadilly to Chester via Altrincham.

LNER has cancelled or curtailed more than 20 trains on New Year’s Eve and most Thameslink trains are being cancelled due to staff shortage. The usual overnight services will not run at all in the early hours of New Year’s day.

Key points

• Eurostar services to restart but commuters warned of delays and cancellations

• Eurostar statement on ‘unprecedented’ flooding

• Eurostar and Southeastern trains cancelled on Saturday morning

• Train crew shortages affecting rail services

Over 200 flood alerts and warnings across UK

14:50 , Athena Stavrou

There are over 200 flood alerts and warnings currently in place across the UK, as the weather threatens to foil New Year’s Eve plans.

In England, there are 44 flood warnings and 177 flood alerts spread across the country.

In Scotland there are currently three flood alerts and two flood warnings, while in Wales there are 11 flood alerts and one flood warning in the south west.

Hopeful travellers gather in St Pancras

14:20 , Athena Stavrou

Rail passengers wanting to make it home in time for the New Year’s countdown have gathered in St Pancras in the hopes they may board a train.

Maes Bert and Lievens Nele, both 45, are in a large queue for tickets at London’s St Pancras International, hoping to get spaces on a train home to Brussels on Sunday so they can enjoy the New Year countdown with their two daughters after their train on Saturday was cancelled.

Ms Bert said: “Our tickets was cancelled yesterday so if you want a new ticket you have to queue here and hope you get one, and I hope we are getting home today, but it’s not sure there are tickets, so we have to wait and wait and wait, but it’s not going further, it takes a long time. “

Mr Nele said: “Yesterday we got to Dover for trying with a boat but that was not an option.”

Ms Bert said they had been queuing for about half an hour, adding: “Yesterday you can (re-)book your tickets but all was booked for today, but now they said there are coming more places for a train, so now we hope there is a place for two persons, and otherwise it’s tomorrow, but then we are not home for the holidays. Our two children are home.”

Mr Nele said: “They [their daughters] got back on a boat yesterday, there was places for two people and we gave the places to our daughters, Antje [20] and Janne [24].”

RAC’s official travel advice

13:50 , Athena Stavrou

With many people travelling during the Christmas and New Year period the RAC’s Rod Dennis offers the following advice:

Heavy and thundery rain forecast this afternoon

13:25 , Athena Stavrou

The Met Office has forecasted heavy and thundery rain in their latest forecast for New Years Eve.

One yellow weather warning is currently in place across southern Wales and England while another for rain is due in northwestern England at 6pm tonight.

Full report: UK to kick off 2024 with blustery showers and gale force winds

13:00 , Athena Stavrou

The United Kingdom braces itself for a tumultuous start to 2024, marked by blustery showers, gale-force winds, and continued travel disruptions.

The Met Office’s weather forecast sets the stage for a rollercoaster ride of weather phenomena, as people can face damp fireworks displays.

Read the full report on what the weather will be like here:

UK to kick off 2024 with blustery showers and gale force winds

Pictures: UK battered by wet weather on New Year’s Eve

12:35 , Athena Stavrou

Thameslink warns of ‘severe disruption’ due to staff shortage for the next 24 hours

12:10 , Simon Calder

Thameslink, which runs the line between Bedford, Luton, central London, Gatwick and Brighton, is warning fo “severe disruption” for travellers on New Year’s Eve and 1 January.

The rail firm says: “There will be a significantly reduced service on Thameslink north of London and south to Brighton in the afternoon and evening [of 31 December], and no Thameslink trains across the network at all overnight.

“Customers intending to travel back from London during the night towards Bedford or Brighton/Three Bridges will be unable to do so.

“Sutton, Rainham and Sevenoaks Thameslink trains will continue to run. Southern and Gatwick Express trains are not affected and Gatwick Airport will continue to be served.

“Customers for Luton Airport will be able to use EMR trains and Luton Express, although these finish earlier on Sunday.”

Brits told to bring their raincoats to New Year’s Eve celebrations

11:50 , Athena Stavrou

Britons are gearing up for a wet and windy start to 2024 as the Met Office warns them to bring a raincoat to their celebrations.

“As we begin to approach midnight for many parts, Northern Ireland, England and Wales we continue to see some further showers, so certainly recommend a rain jacket if you are planning to be about around midnight,” Meteorologist Craig Snell said.

“For Scotland it should turn a little but drier here and with some lighter winds, it will turn quite chilly too, so maybe a thicker jacket here as we approach midnight.”

French family hail unexpected Eurostar tickets a New Year’s Eve ‘miracle’

11:30 , Athena Stavrou

A French family who feared they would not be able to get home until January 2 after Saturday’s Eurostar chaos saw their train cancelled have hailed their unexpected tickets home on Sunday as a New Year’s Eve “miracle”.

Isobel Ram, 49, her partner Amaury Ferrero, 52, and daughter Lee Ram, 20, live in Toulouse but their train home was cancelled on Saturday due to flooding in a tunnel in Kent.

Amid the chaos, they booked the first available return tickets, for January 2.

Ms Ram told the PA news agency: “We spent the night in a hotel, we came back this morning and a miracle happened and they gave us three tickets for today’s Eurostar (12.30pm train). We were worried we would be here until January 2.

“We were super happy but a bit embarrassed because there was a huge queue of people waiting behind us and we didn’t want to show we got tickets, make it too obvious, in case other people didn’t. But we said a huge thank you to the lady who did the tickets for us.”

She said her daughter is especially pleased they will be home for New Year’s Eve, adding: “She has got a huge party in Paris tonight. It’s excellent, fantastic, brilliant, a miracle.”

Details of new weather warning issued

11:07 , Athena Stavrou

The Met Office has issued a new yellow weather warning for rain in the North West this evening.

It will come into place on 6pm on New Year’s Eve and remain in place until 6am on New Year’s Day.

Some areas are expected to see up to 40mm of rain.

Met Office issue new weather warning for rain

10:44 , Athena Stavrou

The Met Office has issued another weather warning this evening for rain.

The new yellow weather warning spans north west England and is set to come into place at 6pm on Sunday.

Frequent heavy showers may lead to some flooding and disruption to travel in the area, according to the forecasters.

The warning is set to remain in place throughout New Year’s festivities and expire at 6am on Monday.

Meanwhile, another yellow weather warning is in place across southern England and Wales.

Watch: Simon Calder explains the situation at St Pancras

10:22 , Athena Stavrou

As Eurostar resumes their services from London after 30,000 passengers were left stranded in yesterday, The Independent’s Travel Correspondent explains what the latest situation is from St Pancras:

Met Office forecast: Unsettled weather continuing into the New Year

09:59 , Athena Stavrou

Today:

Rain and gale force winds continue in the far northeast of Scotland. Elsewhere blustery showers, although drier further north and east. Temperatures nearer to normal, but tempered by strong winds.

Tonight:

Blustery showers overnight, with longer spells of rain in northern England. Showers may turn wintry over any high ground in Scotland. Colder than recent nights with frost in the north.

Monday:

Drier to start New Year’s Day, although scattered showers in the north. Cloud thickening from the southwest as rain spreads northeast later. Mild in the south, but average temperatures elsewhere.

UK to kick off 2024 with blustery showers and gale force winds

09:39 , Athena Stavrou

Brits have been told to brace themselves for a tumultuous start to 2024, marked by blustery showers, gale-force winds, and continued travel disruptions.

The Met Office’s weather forecast sets the stage for a rollercoaster ride of weather phenomena, as people can face damp fireworks displays.

A yellow weather warning is in place on Sunday, the last day of 2023, for “gales or severe gales in association with heavy showers,” which may lead to disruption to transport and infrastructure.

The warning comes into effect at 10am and stays in place till midnight as people countdown to the start of 2024.

Eurostar says no extra trains on New Year’s Eve, and all other St Pancras rail firms are disrupted

09:20 , Simon Calder

Eurostar has confirmed to The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder that it will not run any extra trains today to clear the backlog of 30,000-plus passengers who were unable to travel on Saturday.

All scheduled services are expected to run on New Year’s Eve, but with delays. The first train from London St Pancras International, to Paris, left 10 minutes late and delays have increased on its journey through Essex and Kent.

Dozens of Southeastern high-speed trains between St Pancras and Kent have been cancelled to thin out the demand for the single bore of the Thames tunnel that is currently open.

Thameslink has also cancelled dozens of trains through London due to staff shortage.

The other operator at St Pancras, East Midlands Railway, is running a largely normal service – though the 7am from Derby to London ended its journey at Leicester due to a train fault.

Hundreds of New Year’s Eve trains cancelled due to staff shortage

08:56 , Simon Calder

Hundreds of trains scheduled to run on New Year’s Eve have been cancelled, with one government-run operator warning it will not be able to run any trains on six of its routes on New Year’s Eve.

Northern Trains has issued a Do Not Travel notice for 31 December on links from Manchester Victoria to Chester and Stalybridge, and from Manchester Piccadilly to Chester via Altrincham.

Passengers are also warned no trains will run on routes connecting Preston with Colne, Bolton with Clitheroe and Lancaster with Morecambe on the last day of the year.

The rail firm is telling passengers: “We will be operating a reduced service across the northwest due to train crew unavailability.”

Northern Trains staff who are based west of the Pennines do not have Sunday included in their working week, and so services on New Year’s Eve – as on any other Sunday – rely upon overtime.

Elsewhere, cancellations on long-distance and local trains are multiplying. LNER, which connects London King’s Cross with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland, has cancelled or curtailed more than 20 intercity trains on New Year’s Eve.

On the Thameslink line through central London, connecting Bedford and Luton with Gatwick and Brighton, most trains are being cancelled due to staff shortage. The usual overnight services will not run at all in the early hours of New Year’s day.

First Eurostar train departs from London

08:30 , Simon Calder

The first Eurostar passenger train to leave London St Pancras International since Friday departed 10 minutes late, destination Paris.

Every seat on board was filled – the vast majority with passengers who had booked for the 8.01am train on New Year’s Eve weeks or months ago.

Some of the 30,000-plus passengers stranded by the cancellation of all links between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam had been able to get seats on board – but the vast majority are still trying to find alternative ways to reach their New Year’s Eve destinations.

Signs at the Eurostar terminal warn: “We have no ticket availability today. We will not be able to process any sales or exchanges. Thank you for your understanding.”

Prices for alternative transport have soared. The last seat on any British Airways flight from Paris CDG to London Heathrow on New Year’s Eve sold for almost £700.

FlixBus, which runs between London and the European capitals served by Eurostar, has very few seats available – from Paris only a late-night departure is available, with an overnight journey to London.

Eurostar is paying a maximum of £150 per night for hotels while passengers wait for available seats.

UK weather forecast today: Unsettled weather to continue

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

As we bid farewell to 2023, unsettled weather will continue to persist in the UK with the start of 2024 promising a blend of rain, gale-force winds, and a touch of frost, according to the Met Office forecast.

Sunday will see blustery showers across the nation, with a glimmer of respite in the north and east, while in the far northeast of Scotland, rain and gale-force winds persist.

The first day of 2024 will kick off on a drier note, the forecast shows, offering a temporary respite. However, scattered showers decide to crash the New Year's party in the north. As the day progresses, clouds are set to gather momentum from the southwest, with rain making its way northeast.

While the south enjoys mild temperatures, the rest of the country will see settle for averages – a classic start to the year.

Eurostar services to restart but commuters warned of delays and cancellations

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Eurostar services are set to resume today with one tunnel now operational, the company said in a statement. However, it warned commuters to expect further delays and busy stations.

The “unprecedented” flooding was brought under control on Saturday night, Eurostar said, meaning “at least one tunnel can now be used”.

But speed restrictions and uncertainty surrounding the second tunnel means further disruption is possible, the operator has warned.

Delays and cancellations are also expected on some domestic routes on Sunday thanks to staff shortages and bad weather.

Train crew shortages affecting rail services

06:02 , Stuti Mishra

While the flooding of high-speed tunnels beneath the River Thames has already caused chaos, staff shortages are also set to compound the transportation woes on New Year's Eve.

Northern Rail has warned of "significant" disruption today due to train crew unavailability.

Services will finish earlier than usual, at around 4pm, and are expected to be "extremely busy".

The company has issued a "do not travel" warning for these four routes including Heysham to Lancaster, Manchester Victoria to Stalybridge and Clitheroe to Bolton

LNER has also cancelled and altered some of its services from London King's Cross station for tomorrow due to a shortage of train crew.

‘Our plans are ruined'

05:30 , Stephanie Cockroft

Passengers stranded at St Pancras said the disruption had ruined their New Year’s Eve plans, which included going to Disneyland, seeing the Eiffel Tower, and going to an ice hockey match.

Two newlyweds visiting from New York said their dream of seeing in the new year at Disneyland Paris was in tatters.

Nicole Carrera, 29, and her husband Christopher, 31, had to rebook for a 2.30pm outbound train on Sunday.

Ms Carrera, who works for cosmetics firm L’Oréal, told the PA news agency: “We’ve been in London since Wednesday and we wanted to leave today because we were actually supposed to go to Disney Paris tomorrow for New Year’s Eve.

“So obviously those plans our ruined because now we won’t get into Paris tomorrow until about 6pm.”

Can I fly home?

04:05 , Stephanie Cockroft

Air fares between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and London have predictably soared, and many flights have sold out.

The last seat on a British Airways flight from Paris to London on New Year’s Eve was sold at a one-way fare of almost £700.

Will I get cash compensation for a cancelled train?

03:00 , Stephanie Cockroft

The short answer is no.

There is no possibility of an airline-style payout of hundreds of pounds. The best you can hope for is, if you travel with Eurostar, you may get the cost of your ticket refunded and/or a voucher for a future journey – despite having (eventually) travelled.

More chaos ahead for travellers, Eurostar warns

02:00 , Stephanie Cockroft

Although Eurostar said services would return on Sunday, it warned of delays and busy stations.

The company said: “There will be some speed restrictions in place in the morning which may lead to delays and stations are expected to be very busy.”

Elsewhere in the UK...

01:00 , Stephanie Cockroft

The Met Office has warned there could be disruption to domestic journeys this weekend, as windy conditions sweep across the UK.

A warning for rain and snow has been issued for much of Scotland.

What caused the leak?

00:05 , Stephanie Cockroft

The cause of the leak is not yet clear.

Reports initially suggested the flooding was caused by a “fire control system”. In a statement, Thames Water said: “We have been informed of an incident involving a pipe flooding the Eurostar tunnel. We believe the incident is in regard to a fire control system and not a Thames Water pipe/asset, however we have a technician on the way to offer support to control the flow of water.”

But a spokesperson for HS1, which runs the route between London and the Channel Tunnel, said: “The source of the flooding will be the subject of an investigation, but at this stage we have no evidence to suggest that the fire control system was related to the issue in any way.”

Air fares soar after Eurostar shutdown

Saturday 30 December 2023 23:00 , Alex Ross

After Eurostar cancelled trains today due to flooding, many turned to the other obvious mode of transport; air travel.

This led to air fares rocketing. Only one British Airways flight from Paris to London is available on Sunday, at a one-way fare of almost £700.

Latest here on the situation fronm Simon Calder

Eurostar chaos: How can I get home and what are my rights?

Update from Southeastern Railway

Saturday 30 December 2023 22:46 , Alex Ross

After a day of no services between Ebbsfleet and London St Pancras International due to flooding in the Thames Tunnel, Southeastern Railway says it will run a reduced service between Ashford, Kent, and St Pancras International in London tomorrow.

It added that it was still working on a plan for its high speed services tomorrow.

Saturday 30 December 2023 22:00 , Stephanie Cockroft

Why doesn’t Eurostar use one of its stations in Kent, on the “right” side of the blockage? Simon Calder explains:

The exact location of the flooding which caused such mayhem: the tunnel where the line dives beneath the Thames between Essex and Kent. On one side: London St Pancras International. On the other: Ebbsfleet International, which until 2020 was a regular stop on the line to the Channel Tunnel and France.

Although nothing like the full service could be run (there being only two Eurostar platforms), anything to reduce the upset among passengers desperate to get home would be worth trying. Another option: Eurostar couid serve the better-connected Ashford International, which has good conventional rail links with London, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

Neither of them is a realistic option, I’m afraid. Were the two Kent stations in full working order, a plan could be cobbled together. But these are locations that have been mothballed and remain international stations only in name. To reboot the security set-up, get the immigration formalities resurrected and meet all the other operational requirements would be the work of weeks, not hours.

In the inevitable inquest after this dire end-of-year collapse, which has torn up the travel plans of more than 30,000 travellers, the idea of a back-up station may be raised. Eurostar, which says the Kent stations cannot possible reopen due to post-Covid finances and post-Brexit complications, will doubtless robustly explain why it would be a waste of resources to have a station on standby.

Since the tunnel incident was the first such calamity in 15 years of operation, I tend to agree – but I hope Eurostar will do more to have access to chartered coaches that could get at least some of the unfortunate passengers slowly to their destinations through the lovely Kent countryside.

Full statement from Eurostar on Sunday services

Saturday 30 December 2023 21:14 , Alex Ross

Eurostar said: “Flooding in the Thames tunnels has been brought under control by Network Rail High Speed meaning at least one tunnel can now be used and a full service can operate.

“There will be some speed restrictions in place in the morning which may lead to delays and stations are expected to be very busy.

“Unfortunately, this unprecedented event has caused major disruption to customers today.

“Customers are encouraged to visit the Eurostar website for more information on their journey and compensation entitlement.”

Breaking: Eurostar services to resume on Sunday

Saturday 30 December 2023 21:03 , Alex Ross

Eurostar has just announced that services will return on Sunday after a day of cancellations on Saturday due to flooding in the tunnels under the River Thames.

The operator says the flooding is back under control, although speed restrictions may lead to delays.

Why have all the Eurostar trains been cancelled?

Saturday 30 December 2023 21:00 , Athena Stavrou

All Eurostar services from London St Pancras have been cancelled today - ruining thousands of passengers New Years Eve plans.

Flooding occurred in railway tunnels near Ebbsfleet International station in southeastern England, affecting the High Speed 1 tunnel and another used by Southeastern.

A video taken inside the flooded tunnel shows water gushing onto the tracks from a pipe attached to the tunnel’s wall.

On Saturday afternoon, Thames Water revealed that the cause of the flood was an incident relating to a fire control system

We have been informed of an incident involving a pipe flooding the Eurostar tunnel. We believe the incident is in regard to a fire control system and not a Thames Water pipe/asset, however we have a technician on the way to offer support to control the flow of water,” they said in a statement.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and offer support where needed.”

In full: New Year’s travel chaos as Eurostar and Southeastern trains cancelled over Thames tunnel flooding

Saturday 30 December 2023 20:30 , Athena Stavrou

Tens of thousands of people have been left stranded ahead of New Year’s Eve after Eurostar cancelled all its services due to flooding in a tunnel.

All 41 trains scheduled for Saturday have been cancelled, throwing travel plans into chaos with passengers scrambling to rearrange transport to and from London St Pancras.

Read the full report from The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder here:

New Year’s travel chaos as Eurostar and Southeastern trains cancelled over flooding

What are stranded Eurostar passengers entitled to?

Saturday 30 December 2023 20:00 , Athena Stavrou

Eurostar passengers who are stranded – eg British travellers at Paris heading for London – are entitled to up to €170/£150 per room per night for a hotel, and meal costs of up to €60/£50 for each 24-hour stay.

Transfers between the Eurostar station and the hotel or final destination are payable up to €170/£150 per vehicle (not per person).

Reasonable telephone or internet costs will also be refunded.

Passengers at Paris Gare du Nord have told The Independent that uniformed Eurostar staff say there is no obligation to pay for hotels and meals because the cause of the problem is beyond Eurostar’s control.

Eurostar in London said that such information is incorrect, and that passengers should visit the website for compensation entitlement.

Watch: New Year travel chaos at St Pancras as flooding cancels high-speed trains

Saturday 30 December 2023 19:30 , Athena Stavrou

Tens of thousands of people have been left stranded ahead of New Year’s Eve after Eurostar cancelled all its services due to flooding in a tunnel.

All 41 trains scheduled for Saturday have been cancelled, throwing travel plans into chaos with passengers scrambling to rearrange transport to and from London St Pancras.

Watch the chaos unfold below:

Railway worker ‘devastated’ as NYE plans ruined

Saturday 30 December 2023 19:00 , Athena Stavrou

A railway worker was “devastated” and forced to head home after a surprise trip to Cologne for his partner was cancelled because of flooding disruption to Eurostar trains.

Matthew Hulls, 40, from Colchester, had booked his partner a VIP ticket to a hockey game in Cologne city centre on New Year’s Eve, in a trip he planned in October.

He had worked on Christmas Day but had hoped to make the most of New Year’s Eve with his partner.

“I had to work over Christmas, so had some special plans to compensate for that with my partner, but now it’ll be attempts to get refunds, if at all possible, and claims through my insurer – not about the money, devastated to be missing out on what we had planned.”

Mr Hulls arrived at St Pancras International on Saturday and was due to catch the 0901 service to Brussels to get a connecting train to Cologne, but abandoned his plans and had to travel home by train and bus replacement services.

He said: “Disgraceful – the next available train to Brussels wasn’t until Monday morning when I looked at 7.30 this morning, so many people trying to get home are now stranded.”

Dream Disney trip ends in tears as flooding cancels all Eurostar trains

Saturday 30 December 2023 18:30 , Athena Stavrou

People have had their dream trip to Disneyland Paris cancelled after flooding forced Eurostar to cancel all trains to France on Saturday.

The Independent’s travel journalist Simon Calder told the BBC: “I’ve been talking to people in tears because their trip to Disney has been cancelled.”

Pictures: Engineers working at entrance of flooding Kent tunnel

Saturday 30 December 2023 18:00 , Athena Stavrou

Watch: Floodwater gushes through tunnel near Ebbsfleet

Saturday 30 December 2023 17:30 , Athena Stavrou

This footage captures water gushing into a tunnel near Ebbsfleet International on Saturday forcing Eurostar to cancel all services to France.

Thames Water later revealed the cause of the flood to be a fire control system.

How can I get home and what are my rights?

Saturday 30 December 2023 16:50 , Athena Stavrou

The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder arrived at the Eurostar hub in central London at 5.30am on Saturday morning– just as the first news of cancellations was spreading.

Tens of thousands of Eurostar passengers have had their New Year travel plans torn up due to flooding on the High Speed 1 line between London and Ebbsfleet in Kent.

A total of 41 have been trains cancelled, leaving upwards of 30,000 passengers with no immediate way to reach their destination – and uncertain about their entitlement to compensation.

Simon Calder explains how you can get home if your train was cancelled and what your rights are:

Eurostar chaos: How can I get home and what are my rights?

Family ‘trying not to be homeless with children in cold London night' after Eurostar travel chaos

Saturday 30 December 2023 16:08 , Athena Stavrou

A mother has said her family is “trying not to be homeless with children in cold London night” after Eurostar travel chaos upended their “dream” trip to the French capital and Disneyland Paris.

Luana Andrade, 36, her husband Rondi Oroujo, 32, and their three-year-old son, who live in Dublin, are marooned at London’s St Pancras International along with his six visiting relatives from Brazil, including his niece, 13, and nephew, seven.

They had planned to spend New Year’s Eve and day in Paris before heading to the theme park on Tuesday, but their outbound train was cancelled and they said there is no availability to reschedule for Sunday, leaving them trying to book an “expensive” flight and with nowhere to stay in London on Saturday.

Ms Andrade said they are “trying not to be homeless with children in the cold London night”, adding: “Our problem is to get a night to sleep because London is really expensive and we don’t have an Airbnb to stay at tonight. The main problem is where are we going to stay with the kids, then we figure out tomorrow.”

Mr Oroujo added: “We going to have to rearrange everything I don’t think we are going to be able to spend New Year’s Eve (in Paris) because even if we get a fight for tomorrow, even if we get a very expensive one, we’re going to get there at like 10pm/11pm.”

Ms Andrade added: “It’s not a trip, it’s a dream trip. So this is really expensive, it’s a big deal for our family because we are from Brazil, so it’s expensive. We planned for months, almost a year, and now probably we don’t get it.”

Bleak prospect for passengers as Eurostar axes all remaining trains on Saturday

Saturday 30 December 2023 15:38 , Simon Calder

The prospects for tens of thousands of Eurostar passengers reaching their destination by the end of the year look increasingly bleak.

The train operator connecting London with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam has now cancelled all its trains for Saturday 30 December, leaving 30,000 or more passengers stranded.

A spokesperson said: “Eurostar has been made aware by Network Rail that flooding in the tunnels between St Pancras International and Ebbsfleet has not improved and train services are unable to operate.

“Eurostar has therefore had to take the unfortunate decision to cancel all services for the rest of the day. This is a total of 41 trains.

“Eurostar is extremely sorry for the unforeseen issues affecting customers today but safety remains our number one priority.

“We understand this is a vital time to get home at the end of the festive season and ahead of New Year and we are supporting customers in stations.

“Customers affected are encouraged to visit the website to find out what compensation they can receive.”

“Network Rail is continuing to keep Eurostar updated regarding how the situation continues to evolve ahead of tomorrow. We will be in direct contact with customers due to travel to keep them updated.”

Cause of flooding revealed

Saturday 30 December 2023 15:02 , Athena Stavrou

The flooding in a Kent tunnel which has led to the cancellation of all Eurostar services has been caused by a “fire control system”, a water company said.

In a statement, Thames Water said: “We have been informed of an incident involving a pipe flooding the Eurostar tunnel. We believe the incident is in regard to a fire control system and not a Thames Water pipe/asset, however we have a technician on the way to offer support to control the flow of water.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and offer support where needed.”

A video taken inside the flooded tunnel shows water gushing onto the tracks from a pipe attached to the tunnel’s wall.

Tornado warning issued

Saturday 30 December 2023 14:59 , Athena Stavrou

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) have warned that some areas of the UK could see “isolated tornadoes” today.

Experts issued the Severe Weather Forecast for central and southern areas in the Republic of Ireland, parts of northern England, the Midlands, East Anglia, southern England and the Channel Islands.

Brits in these areas can expect wind gusts to 70mph, hail, lightning and potentially isolated tornadoes until the warning is set to expire on Sunday at 6am.

“Low-level flow into the front will likely encourage a narrow line of intense rain, and the shear along the front may allow misocyclones to develop,” the warning said. “These will assist in bringing strong wind gusts in places, perhaps to 60-70mph. There will also be the risk of isolated tornadoes.”

It comes after a localised tornado brought by Storm Gerrit tore roofs off in Greater Manchester earlier this week.

What’s causing the travel chaos?

Saturday 30 December 2023 14:40 , Athena Stavrou

Thousands of passengers are stranded at St Pancras International this morning as all Eurostar and Southeastern trains have been cancelled.

Flooding occurred in both railway tunnels near Ebbsfleet International station in southeastern England, meaning both tunnels are closed.

No trains will be able to run between St Pancras and Ebbsfleet until the flood has been cleared.

Over 40 Eurostar trains have been cancelled so far and Southeastern have warned disruption is expected all day.

Watch: Newlywed Disneyland plans ruined due to Eurostar travel chaos

Saturday 30 December 2023 14:10 , Athena Stavrou

Cold front to make it’s way across southern England for NYE

Saturday 30 December 2023 13:37 , Athena Stavrou

The Met Office a band of heavy rain and squally winds associated with a cold front move across southern England.

A weather warning is in place in the region for wind until the early hours of Sunday morning.

Tears and anger as Eurostar cancellations rise

Saturday 30 December 2023 13:12 , Athena Stavrou

Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent of The Independent, arrived at the Eurostar hub in central London at 5.30am – just as the first news of cancellations was spreading. He reports on the morning:

The scenes at London St Pancras International on the penultimate morning of the year mirrored those nine days earlier, when dozens of Eurostar trains were cancelled by a sudden strike.

As passengers processed the bad news that they would not be travelling as booked for their New Year plans, a contingent of British holidaymakers went online to organise flights – though fares were rising by the minute.

One family who had just arrived for their train to Paris for a Disneyland break asked for my advice: go home, get the car and set off for Folkestone or Dover, I recommended. Eurotunnel shuttles and cross-Channel ferries are still running to Calais.

A group of women from Leicestershire who were travelling to Brussels for a New Year weekend decided they would stay in London instead.

The saddest contingents were the Dutch, Belgian and French travellers trying to return home, bewildered by the increasing crowds and without an understanding of their options. Some were weeping as they told loved ones they would not, after all, reach home this evening.

The advice, in French and English, was to go online or onto the Eurostar app and rebook – though passengers were told no standard class seats are available for the rest of the day.

“We apologies for any inconvenience caused,” the message concluded.

Watch: Floodwater gushes through tunnel near Ebbsfleet as Eurostar services cancelled

Saturday 30 December 2023 12:48 , Athena Stavrou

Thousands of rail passengers have been left stranded after a tunnel near Ebbsfleet was flooding amid extreme weather across the UK.

Southeastern and Eurostar cancelled all services due to run through the tunnel this morning with cancellations expected to continue throughout the day.

‘We stood in the queue for quite a while before someone told us what was going on’

Saturday 30 December 2023 12:28 , Athena Stavrou

Ben Saunders from Tunbridge Wells is one of the many thousands of passengers stranded at London St Pancras International after Eurostar cancelled dozens of trains.

He told The Independent: “We got here at the station very early, about 4am. We’re heading down to the Alps in France.

“There was a huge queue all the way up out of the doors. and after queuing up for a while, we noticed that the trains were actually cancelled to Paris.

“Eventually somebody wandered along the line and told us that there was a flood in the tunnel and we’d have to either refund our tickets or, or arrange them for a different date.

“It would have been nice a little bit earlier to have somebody at least wandering down the line and just telling people what was going on. We stood in the queue for quite a while before that happened.

“We’ve got connections on the trains from Paris down which we’ll obviously miss. So that’s a big problem for us.”

Mr Saunders was eventually able to book a flight from Luton airport to Geneva, from where there are connections to the French Alps.

More Eurostar cancellations – 30,000 passengers now affected

Saturday 30 December 2023 12:12 , Simon Calder

Eurostar has just cancelled a further 15 trains to and from London St Pancras, taking the total to 43. An estimated 30,000 passengers have had their New Year travel plans torn up.

A spokesperson for the international train operator said: “Eurostar has unfortunately had to cancel a further 15 trains to and from London due to the situation not improving with flooding in the tunnels between St Pancras international and Ebbsfleet.

“Network Rail is continuing to do all they can and will update Eurostar if any services can continue later in the day.

“Eurostar is extremely sorry for the unforeseen issues affecting our customers and services. We understand this is a vital time to get home at the end of the festive season and ahead of New Year.

“We are doing all we can to rectify the situation. Customers are encouraged to visit the Eurostar website for more information on their journey and compensation entitlement.”

Pictures: St Pancras in chaos as Eurostar services cancelled ahead of NYE

Saturday 30 December 2023 11:49 , Athena Stavrou

What can I do if my Eurostar trip has been cancelled?

Saturday 30 December 2023 11:17 , Athena Stavrou

Eurostar has had to cancel all of their services from London today after a tunnel was flooded.

Thousands of passengers have been left stranded amid the chaos. If you are one of those passengers, here are your options:

• Exchange your booking for free to travel at a different time or date, in the same travel class.

• Cancel your booking and claim an e-voucher. You will have 12 months from the date of your cancelled train to redeem it on eurostar.com

• Cancel your booking and get a refund. You’ll receive a refund for the value of your ticket, but not for any booking or exchange fees. We’ll process your request within 28 days.

You have three months from the date you were due to travel to claim your preferred option.

Two newlyweds said honeymoon plans “ruined” due to the Eurostar travel chaos

Saturday 30 December 2023 10:57 , Athena Stavrou

Nicole Carrera, 29, and her husband Christopher, 31, were due to catch a train from London St Pancras International to Paris on Saturday morning but it was cancelled due to flooding.

They have had to rebook for a 2.30pm outbound train on Sunday, scuppering their plans to spend New Year’s Eve at the theme park and leaving them out of pocked for a non-refundable hotel booked in Paris for Saturday evening.

Ms Carrera, who works for cosmetics firm L’Oréal, told the PA news agency: “We actually got married in October and we had this trip planned before we got engaged… we planned this trip because we’ve always wanted to come to London/Paris. We were going to Paris, for like, around the holiday season because, you know, the cities are nice during the holidays and we had never been, it was on our list of places to travel and we just wanted to come visit.

“So we’ve been in London since Wednesday and we wanted to leave today because we were actually supposed to go to Disney Paris tomorrow for New Year’s Eve.

“So obviously those plans our ruined because now we won’t get into Paris tomorrow until about 6pm. So we’re just going to walk around the city (Paris) tomorrow when we get there and finally get to our hotel. It’s just one of those things.”

She added: “We go to Disney in the States all the time in Florida so we were like, we might as well go while we’re there, what a better way to celebrate New Year’s, like, there’s so many things to do.”

High Speed 1: ‘The volume of water in the tunnel is unprecedented“

Saturday 30 December 2023 10:42 , Simon Calder

High Speed 1 (HS1), which runs the link from London St Pancras International to the Channel Tunnel, has now issued a statement about the disruption.

An HS1 spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, travel on the HS1 line is currently suspended due to flooding in the Thames Tunnel. Engineers have been working throughout the night to remove the water and continue to do so.

Pumps and tankers are on site and water levels are reducing but the volume of water in the tunnel is unprecedented.

“We understand how frustrating this is for passengers and apologise for the inconvenience caused at such an important time of the year. We are doing everything we can to restore services as quickly as possible and advise all passengers to check with their operator before travelling.”

Engineers are aiming to reduce water levels enough to allow them to assess the track and decide whether trains can safely run through the tunnel at reduced speeds.

Trains cancelled for rest of the day

Saturday 30 December 2023 10:24 , Athena Stavrou

Eurostar and Southeastern services from London have been cancelled “until the end of the day” as heavy rain and strong winds threaten to spoil people’s new year plans.

No high-speed services are expected to run between Ebbsfleet International and London St Pancras International today because a tunnel under the Thames is flooded.

The flooding is also disrupting Southeastern Railway trains which run on the route, the operator said.

Eurostar, which runs services from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, apologised to customers for the impact to their travel plans.

Posting on X, Southeastern Railway said: “We will be running no highspeed services for the entirety of today due to flooding in the tunnels at Ebbsfleet.

“No trains will run between Ashford and St Pancras, or between Gravesend and St Pancras. Please use alternative routes.”

What’s causing the travel chaos?

Saturday 30 December 2023 09:56 , Athena Stavrou

Thousands of passengers are stranded at St Pancras International this morning as all Eurostar and Southeastern trains have been cancelled.

Flooding occurred in both railway tunnels near Ebbsfleet International station in southeastern England, meaning both tunnels are closed.

No trains will be able to run between St Pancras and Ebbsfleet until the flood has been cleared. Eurostar trains have been cancelled until at least midday and Southeastern have warned disruption is expected all day.

Watch: Thousands of passengers stranded at St Pancras as flooding cancels all high-speed trains

Saturday 30 December 2023 09:28 , Athena Stavrou

All Eurostar and Southeastern high-speed trains are currently cancelled due to flooding in the Thames tunnel on Saturday (30 December).

The Independent’s travel journalist Simon Calder said: “It’s absolute carnage here and New Year travel chaos mounts.”

Flooding has occurred in both railway tunnels near Ebbsfleet International, meaning both tunnels are closed.

This means no trains can run between London St Pancras International and Ebbsfleet International. Disruption is expected until 12 noon.

These are the current scenes at London’s St Pancras International:

St Pancras ‘in chaos’ amid cancellations

Saturday 30 December 2023 08:38 , Athena Stavrou

St Pancras International is reportedly ‘in chaos’ as passengers face major major cancellations this morning.

Southeastern and Eurostar trains were cancelled this morning due to flooding in tunnels near Ebbsfleet International in southeast England.

The Independent’s Travel Correspondent Simon Calder is currently at the station and said the travel hub was “in chaos”.

Scotland under 'significant snow' warning

Saturday 30 December 2023 08:09 , Stuti Mishra

Scotland is under rain, snow and ice warnings this weekend as the Met Office predicts high-ground areas in Scotland are likely to see "significant snow", with possibly 10 to 20cm building up.

A yellow warning for snow and rain will come into force at 8pm on Saturday and run until midnight.

Another warning says frequent showers have increased the risk of icy surfaces, urging people to be careful of slips and falls on icy surfaces.

UK set for unsettled New Year's weekend amid Storm Henk fears

Saturday 30 December 2023 06:48 , Stuti Mishra

Strong winds and rain continue today as the UK braces for an unsettled New Year's weekend with fears of another storm hitting the country.

The Met Office forecast says winds will continue to be strong, locally reaching gale force, with cloud and occasional heavy rain, over the northern parts today.

This weather system spreads northeast today, encompassing most regions by evening, with blustery showers dotting the southwest. Mild conditions persist in the southern parts, Met forecast says.

As the weekend progresses, the far northeast of Scotland will continue to see rain and gale force winds. Meanwhile, other regions will experience blustery showers, though conditions are expected to be relatively drier in the north. Temperatures are set to inch closer to normal, yet the impact may be lessened by strong winds throughout the day.

Yellow weather warning for rain and snow in Scotland

Saturday 30 December 2023 06:00 , Joe Middleton

A yellow weather warning for rain and snow has been issued for much of Scotland on Saturday.

The warning is in place from 8am until midnight on Saturday with up to 25mm of rain forecast at lower levels, according to the Met Office.

A period of sleet and snow, turning to rain, may lead to some flooding and travel disruption.

Bus and train services may be affected, with journey times taking longer, with some spray and flooding on roads.

Some interruption to power services is also likely.

Ring camera captures tornado ripping through Manchester suburb amid Storm Gerrit

Saturday 30 December 2023 05:00 , Joe Middleton

Heartfelt tributes paid to three men who died after 4x4 ‘swept away’ in River Esk

Saturday 30 December 2023 04:00 , Joe Middleton

Tributes have been paid to three men who died when their 4x4 vehicle was “swept away” in the River Esk as they attempted to cross the water.

Scott Thomas Daddy, Leslie Forbes and Kenneth Patrick Hibbins were found dead inside the vehicle after it became submerged in the river near Glaisdale on Thursday.

On Friday, after the car was removed from the water flowers were laid on the bank in memory of the three men.

Heartfelt tributes paid to three men who died after 4x4 ‘swept away’ in River Esk

ICYMI: Resident details 'absolute disaster' after 'tornado' tears roof off neighbour's house in Manchester

Saturday 30 December 2023 03:00 , Joe Middleton

‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

Saturday 30 December 2023 02:00 , Joe Middleton

A major incident has been declared and around 100 properties damaged after a suspected tornado struck Greater Manchester, with a second “supercell thunderstorm“ hitting Lancashire hours later.

The Met Office confirmed that a rare supercell thunderstorm – storms defined by the deep and persistently rotating current of rising air at their centre – hit the borough of Tameside on Wednesday night, causing chaos as it pulled roofs and chimneys from houses and broke windows.

A second supercell thunderstorm also struck Lancashire’s Morecambe Bay on Thursday morning, with the Met Office warning of hail, frequent lightning and strong and gusty winds as it moved inland.

‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

Drone footage captures flooding in Gloucestershire town as fields submerged by water

Saturday 30 December 2023 01:00 , Joe Middleton

Snow forecast by Met Office

Friday 29 December 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

Steven Ramsdale, Met Office Chief Forecaster, said: “This system is likely to bring a range of weather including hill snow. Heavy rain will spread across all but the far north on Saturday affecting similar areas previously affected by Storm Gerrit. However, this rainfall will be a step down from that seen during Storm Gerrit.”

Looking further ahead into 2024, there is low forecast confidence. Nick Silkstone is a Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster. He said: “Through to mid-January, there is a signal for a shift in the pattern compared to the winter so far, with more settled and colder-than-average conditions becoming increasingly likely.”

Chaos at London St Pancras International due to flooding in a High Speed 1 tunnel

Friday 29 December 2023 23:00 , Joe Middleton

Thousands of commuters using the High Speed 1 line between London and Kent face delays and cancellations on the last working day of 2023.

Flooding in one of the tunnels east of London means all trains are using the other bore – adding 30-60 minutes to many journeys.

The issue is also causing disruption for Eurostar trains between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, with delays of up to an hour.

Passengers on Southeastern, which runs the “Javelin” high-speed trains, are being told: “Services between Ebbsfleet International and St Pancras are severely disrupted.

“Please use alternative routes into London via London Bridge, Cannon Street or Charing Cross if possible.

“Tickets are being accepted on the Underground on reasonable routes.”

Problems are set to continue for the rest of the day.

What weather warnings are in place tomorrow?

Friday 29 December 2023 22:00 , Joe Middleton

What weather warnings are in place tomorrow?

The Met Office have issued various rain, wind and snow warnings for tomorrow and New Year’s Eve.

Here is a breakdown of the warnings and where they will impact.

Saturday

There are six yellow warnings issued tomorrow.

Heavy rain and possibly snow is set to fall across northern Scotland which could lead to travel disruption and power cuts from 8am to midnight.

A rain and snow warning is in place across swathes of southern Scotland until 3pm, with flooding and further travel delays expected.

From 4am to 11am a heavy rain forecast has sounded the alarm across Northern Ireland and between 10am and 6pm Welsh residents should also take extra precautions due to rainfall.

Strong gusts are expected to hit the south west and southern england between 11am and 3am, bringing some disruption to travel and services.

ICYMI - ‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

Friday 29 December 2023 21:03 , Joe Middleton

A major incident was declared yesterday and around 100 properties damaged after a suspected tornado struck Greater Manchester, with a second “supercell thunderstorm“ hitting Lancashire hours later.

The Met Office confirmed that a rare supercell thunderstorm – storms defined by the deep and persistently rotating current of rising air at their centre – hit the borough of Tameside on Wednesday night, causing chaos as it pulled roofs and chimneys from houses and broke windows.

A second supercell thunderstorm also struck Lancashire’s Morecambe Bay on Thursday morning, with the Met Office warning of hail, frequent lightning and strong and gusty winds as it moved inland.

Read the full story here

‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

Hundreds of homes in Scotland remain without power

Friday 29 December 2023 19:11 , Joe Middleton

Hundreds of homes in Scotland remain without power as the post-storm clean-up continues, but electricity bosses are “very confident” the remaining properties will be reconnected on Friday.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution said that as of 4pm on Friday, electricity supplies had been successfully restored to more than 47,000 properties, with 250 still off supply.

Andy Smith, operations director at SSEN Distribution, said on Friday: “Our teams have continued to make excellent progress today in restoring customers impacted by Storm Gerrit, in the face of continued challenging conditions.

“We recognise this has been a difficult couple of days for the customers still affected and I’m grateful to them for their continued patience and support as our teams work extremely hard to restore power.

“Up to now we’ve targeted our restoration plan on repairing the faults that will reconnect the greatest number of customers and those who have been without power the longest.

“Today, we face a number of complex and very localised faults, and whilst we’re still encountering some access challenges, we’re pressing on to reconnect those final customers affected.”

Drone footage captures flooding in Gloucestershire town as fields submerged by water

Friday 29 December 2023 18:34 , Joe Middleton

Watch - Drone footage captures flooding in Gloucestershire town as fields submerged by water

Friday 29 December 2023 18:00 , Lydia Patrick

ICYMI - ‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

Friday 29 December 2023 17:30 , Lydia Patrick

A major incident was declared yesterday and around 100 properties damaged after a suspected tornado struck Greater Manchester, with a second “supercell thunderstorm“ hitting Lancashire hours later.

The Met Office confirmed that a rare supercell thunderstorm – storms defined by the deep and persistently rotating current of rising air at their centre – hit the borough of Tameside on Wednesday night, causing chaos as it pulled roofs and chimneys from houses and broke windows.

A second supercell thunderstorm also struck Lancashire’s Morecambe Bay on Thursday morning, with the Met Office warning of hail, frequent lightning and strong and gusty winds as it moved inland.

Read the full story here

‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

New Year’s Eve weather warning

Friday 29 December 2023 17:00 , Lydia Patrick

What weather warnings are in place for New Year’s Eve?

The Met Office have issued a weather warning for Sunday were thousands are set to be out celebrating the end of the year.

Sunday

There is one weather warning in place tomorrow across Wales and the south of England from 11am to 3am. The Met Office have predicted travel disruption and short-term power cuts.

What weather warnings are in place tomorrow?

Friday 29 December 2023 16:30 , Lydia Patrick

The Met Office have issued various rain, wind and snow warnings for tomorrow and New Year’s Eve.

Here is a breakdown of the warnings and where they will impact.

Saturday

There are six yellow warnings issued tomorrow.

Heavy rain and possibly snow is set to fall across northern Scotland which could lead to travel disruption and power cuts from 8am to midnight.

A rain and snow warning is in place across swathes of southern Scotland until 3pm, with flooding and further travel delays expected.

From 4am to 11am a heavy rain forecast has sounded the alarm across Northern Ireland and between 10am and 6pm Welsh residents should also take extra precautions due to rainfall.

Strong gusts are expected to hit the south west and southern england between 11am and 3am, bringing some disruption to travel and services.

Chaos at London St Pancras International due to flooding in a High Speed 1 tunnel

Friday 29 December 2023 16:14 , Simon Calder

Thousands of commuters using the High Speed 1 line between London and Kent face delays and cancellations on the last working day of 2023.

Flooding in one of the tunnels east of London means all trains are using the other bore – adding 30-60 minutes to many journeys.

The issue is also causing disruption for Eurostar trains between London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, with delays of up to an hour.

Passengers on Southeastern, which runs the “Javelin” high-speed trains, are being told: “Services between Ebbsfleet International and St Pancras are severely disrupted.

“Please use alternative routes into London via London Bridge, Cannon Street or Charing Cross if possible.

“Tickets are being accepted on the Underground on reasonable routes.”

Problems are set to continue for the rest of the day.

Snow forecast by Met Office

Friday 29 December 2023 16:00 , Lydia Patrick

Steven Ramsdale is a Met Office Chief Forecaster. He said: “This system is likely to bring a range of weather including hill snow. Heavy rain will spread across all but the far north on Saturday affecting similar areas previously affected by Storm Gerrit. However, this rainfall will be a step down from that seen during Storm Gerrit.”

Looking further ahead into 2024, there is low forecast confidence. Nick Silkstone is a Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster. He said: “Through to mid-January, there is a signal for a shift in the pattern compared to the winter so far, with more settled and colder-than-average conditions becoming increasingly likely.”

Watch - 4×4 recovered from River Esk where three men died after being ‘swept away’

Friday 29 December 2023 15:30 , Lydia Patrick

4×4 recovered from River Esk where three men died after being ‘swept away’

Weather warnings in place for New Years Eve

Friday 29 December 2023 15:00 , Lydia Patrick

If you go out to celebrate New Years Eve, remember to wrap up warm.

The Met Office have issued two yellow warnings as strong winds are expected to blow across southern England on Sunday.

More rail disruption expected

Friday 29 December 2023 14:30 , Lydia Patrick

London Northwestern Railway warned passengers it is “anticipating crowding and disruption to services on New Year’s Eve”.

It said this is due to the “combined impact of recent storms damage across the network, higher than usual rates of sickness absence within our teams as well as reduced capacity within our Sunday timetable”.

The operator has cancelled all services between Stafford and Crewe, and warned that trains on other routes such as between London Euston and Northampton are “subject to alteration and possible cancellation”.

Chiltern Railways, which runs between London Marylebone and the West Midlands, said “a shortage of train crew” means there is “a high risk of short notice cancellations and disruption on the day across all routes” on Saturday and Sunday.

LNER also suffered disruption on Friday due to “severe weather”, with strong winds affecting parts of the East Coast Main Line.

In pictures - Tewkesbury underwater

Friday 29 December 2023 14:00 , Lydia Patrick

ICYMI - ‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

Friday 29 December 2023 13:30 , Lydia Patrick

What is a supercell thunderstorm?

Two supercell thunderstorms hit the UK yesterday, they uprooted trees, smashed windows and crushed roofs.

The Met Office confirmed that a rare supercell thunderstorm – storms defined by the deep and persistently rotating current of rising air at their centre – hit the borough of Tameside on Wednesday night, causing chaos as it pulled roofs and chimneys from houses and broke windows.

A second supercell thunderstorm also struck Lancashire’s Morecambe Bay on Thursday morning, with the Met Office warning of hail, frequent lightning and strong and gusty winds as it moved inland.

Andy Gregory explains exactly what this rare form of stom is...

‘Supercell thunderstorms’ explained as mini tornado damages 100 Manchester homes

This evening’s forecast

Friday 29 December 2023 12:30 , Lydia Patrick

A drier evening and night for most but persisten rain showers to continue in northern Scotland.

The Met Office predict temperatures will drop with frost expected across the north.

In pictures - Cupar underwater

Friday 29 December 2023 12:00 , Lydia Patrick

Residents of Cupar a town in Fife, Scotland were overwhelmed with floodwaters as Storm Gerrit battered the region.

Facebook users shared footage of the submerged streets.

Tractor driver who tried to save three men stuck in 4x4 says they were ‘swept away’ by River Esk

Friday 29 December 2023 11:45 , Lydia Patrick

A tractor driver who tried to rescue three men whose 4x4 vehicle had become submerged in the River Esk during Storm Gerrit said they were “swept away” as they attempted to cross the water.

Chris Ford, a firewood salesman, had received a call asking for his assistance shortly after the vehicle entered the river near Glaisdale at 11.48am.

Emergency services including fire services, police, ambulance and a helicopter rushed to the scene, with the 4x4 recovered further downstream and the three occupants confirmed to have died.

“There was a ford they were going over and they were swept down 400 yards. They were part of an off-road club,” Mr Ford said.

Holly Evans has the full story

Tractor driver who tried to save three men stuck in 4x4 says they were ‘swept away’

Has Storm Gerrit passed?

Friday 29 December 2023 11:30 , Lydia Patrick

The Met Office reported the worst of Storm Gerrit had passed with the last few days of 2023 forecast to be unsettled with strong winds, rain and even snow on higher ground.

Met Office chief forecaster Steven Ramsdale said: “Heavy rain will spread across all but the far north on Saturday, affecting similar areas previously affected by Storm Gerrit. However, this rainfall will be a step down from that seen during Storm Gerrit.”

Travel disruption today

Friday 29 December 2023 11:00 , Lydia Patrick

ScotRail said many lines have been reopened but urged passengers to check for the latest information before travelling, a message echoed by LNER, Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway who suspensed or cancelled services due to damage or system faults.

Friday will see significant disruption for travellers wishing to travel on the London Euston and Watford Junction lines with services expected to be up and running by the end of the day.

In Wales, the aftermath of the recent severe weather will see rail services hampered until Monday.

Ferry services also experienced cancellations and delays due to storm activity with operator DFDS confirming sailings between Dover and France were delayed due to strong winds in the English Channel.

Air travel in and out of the UK saw cancellations but most services have returned to normal.

New Year’s Eve revellers urged to wrap up warm as temperatures plummet

Friday 29 December 2023 10:56 , Lydia Patrick

New Year’s Eve revellers have been urged to wrap up warm as conditions across many parts of the UK could feel close to freezing as the clock strikes midnight.

The weather is expected to remain unsettled with further strong winds and heavy rain throughout the last weekend of 2023.

A yellow weather warning for wind covering parts of Wales and the east of England has been issued and will come into force between 11am on Saturday and 3am on Sunday.

A spell of strong and gusty winds will move east across England and Wales, bringing some disruption to travel and services, the Met Office said.

A yellow weather warning for rain has been issued covering Wales between 10am and 6pm on Saturday, which may lead to flooding and transport disruption.

A yellow weather warning for rain will also come into effect at 4am on Saturday for Northern Ireland, due to be in force until 11am the same day.

Watch - Today’s forecast

Friday 29 December 2023 10:30 , Lydia Patrick

Met Office issue new weather warning

Friday 29 December 2023 10:24 , Lydia Patrick

Gusts of up to 75mph could hit parts of the south of England and Wales on Saturday, the Met Office has said.

A yellow weather warning for wind has been issued for parts of the South East, South West, East Anglia and Wales from 11am on Saturday until 3am on New Year’s Eve.

A separate yellow warning for rain covers much of Northern Ireland from midnight until 11am on Saturday, with up to 25mm of rain expected in just a few hours.

How many homes were left without power?

Friday 29 December 2023 10:00 , Lydia Patrick

Thousands of homes remain without power as the post-storm cleanup begins in the wake of Storm Gerrit.

Around 1,500 homes in Scotland experienced their second night without power in Scotland while a lightning strike hit supplies in Wales on Thursday.

Power company Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said it had restored supply to more than 46,000 properties that lost power due to the storm, with people in the north east and Shetland worst affected.

In pictures- The remnants of Storm Gerrit

Friday 29 December 2023 09:40 , Lydia Patrick

Those in Scotland, northern England and the Midlands are still feeling the effects of stormy conditions after Gerrit battered the UK.

Blairgowrie Greenkeepers golf course in eastern Scotland have closed due to floodwaters.

Nene Park in Peterborough is still heavily flooded, so have advised walkers to wear their wellies.

SSEN ‘confident’ of restoring power to all homes on Friday after Storm Gerrit

Friday 29 December 2023 09:30 , Lydia Patrick

Electricity bosses are “very confident” that the remaining 750 properties in Scotland without power after Storm Gerrit will be reconnected on Friday.

Graeme Keddie, the director of corporate affairs at SSEN, said “hard work” by its staff has reconnected more than 45,000 properties who had lost power as a result of the latest storm to hit the UK.

High winds, heavy rain and snow damaged electricity networks in some parts of the country, but Mr Keddie said that by Friday morning there were 750 homes remaining without electricity, describing that as a “much improved picture”.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, he told how SSEN staff had “made a tremendous effort in restoring power to customers affected by Storm Gerrit, battling some very tough weather conditions”.

He said: “We have now restored power to over 45,000 homes and there are now 750 homes still to be connected.

“And we’re confident through the resource levels we have we can reconnect these customers throughout today.”

What’s the weather forecast today?

Friday 29 December 2023 09:20 , Lydia Patrick

For most condtions are better today as Storm Gerrit subsides.

The Met Office predicts another day of blustery showers which will be heavy at times, merging into longer spells of rain and hill snow in the north.

Conditions will be less windy and the north will face colder climes than in the south.

Less windy than of late and staying mild in the south with colder conditions across the north.

Families rescued from flood waters in Fife

Friday 29 December 2023 08:50 , Lydia Patrick

A man has shared shocking footage of a Scottish street submerged under water as rescue services saved families from their flooded homes.

James Matheson shared the scenes from 27 December on X, as Kinloss Park, Cuput, Fife was battered by heavy rain.

He said since the rainfall has stopped.

Flood warnings in place across UK

Friday 29 December 2023 08:30 , Lydia Patrick

As the remnants of Storm Gerrit sweep across the UK, there are flood warnings in place as rivers overflowed with rainfall.

There are 29 flood warnings in place in England, here is a map of them:

Three men killed as four-by-four submerged in River Esk

Friday 29 December 2023 08:00 , Lydia Patrick

Three men have died after a vehicle plunged into the River Esk on the North York Moors National Park amid “hazardous” driving conditions in the aftermath of Storm Gerrit.

Emergency services were called at around 11.48am on Thursday after the 4x4 went into a stretch of the river near Glaisdale, between Middlesbrough and Scarborough.

It was not exactly clear how the vehicle entered the water, but the roads had been badly affected by the storm, said North Yorkshire Police.

Police, fire, ambulance teams and air support were dispatched to the scene and the vehicle was removed from the river at around 3pm.

All three men who were inside died, North Yorkshire Police said in a statement.

Read the full story by Matt Mathers here

Three men die after 4x4 vehicle plunges into River Esk amid Storm Gerrit

Watch: Houses damaged and debris scattered across roads after Manchester ‘tornado’

Friday 29 December 2023 07:00 , Matt Mathers

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website