Ulster wind and rain warning

Latest storm worse than Ciara

STORM Dennis will be even worse than Ciara, which devastated the UK last week, experts have warned.

They said yesterday it would be a “perfect storm” of wet ground, snow and heavy rain.

The threat levels were raised for the 1,200-mile front of Storm Dennis – dubbed Dennis the Menace – as downpours and snow could bring travel chaos.

The Met Office in Northern Ireland have issued a yellow weather warning for wind and rain which will come into effect today.

The forecaster added: “It is expected to be windy with rain at times, some of this heavy.

“Becoming drier and a little brighter for a time in the afternoon. Strong to gale southerly winds in the morning.” The outlook for tomorrow onwards states: “Windy on Sunday with showers, strong to gale southwesterly winds.

Bright with showers on Monday and Tuesday but becoming less windy.”

The Yellow weather warning for wind and rain is valid from today at 7am until 8pm tonight, Meanwhile, the alert for wind will remain in place until Monday at noon.

Last week in England devastated families near the River Calder, West Yorks, were left fuming at the Tories’ failure to stop traumatic floods for the third time since 2012 after it burst its bank.

Homes and livelihoods were destroyed as the river swept through some £33million flood defences that are not finished. The Environment Agency highlighted flood prevention work they had already begun in Bradford-on-avon, Billington, Ribchester, Frankwell, Shrewsbury, York and Ilkley. More than 500 staff are on active incident duty and 30 mobile pumps have been deployed.

Network Rail advised passengers to expect disruption on many routes and allow more time for their journeys.

Tracks could be flooded as the ground near parts of the railway is already saturated.

Network Rail passenger director Jake Kelly said: “Storm Ciara dumped a month-and-ahalf of rain on us.”

And a man called Storm Denniss has been hounded by people on Facebook pleading with him not to wreak havoc. Storm, 24, from Whitby, North Yorks, said: “I found it hilarious.”

The Environment Agency is urging people to sign up to its flood warnings service and called on those in areas liable to flooding to have a plan.”

John Curtin said: “We’ll get that double impact of melting snow and heavy rain.”