80mph gales hit
Icy gusts & downpours as storm blasts Britain
HOWLING 80mph gusts are set to batter Britain as Storm Erik hits this weekend.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning with freezing winds and rain expected to blast the UK, swelling rivers and seas.
Forecasters predict gales will down trees with debris causing transport chaos and delays likely to affect road, rail, air and ferry travel plans.
Met Office meteorologist Mark Wilson said: “Through Friday and Saturday there are going to be some more strong winds and heavy rain.
“Be mindful that there could be some tricky conditions on the roads, for example there will be strong winds that could affect transport, such as high-sided vehicles crossing bridges, so there could be delays.”
The Dartford Crossing, a major commuter bridge across the River Thames from Essex to Kent, was closed for three hours yesterday due to unsafe wind speeds.
Police warned motorists to expect long delays on roads in the area.
Some 285 homes in Cornwall lost power due to the bad weather, Western Power Distribution said.
The strongest wind measured by the Met Office overnight was 79mph on the Isle of Wight.
A 76mph gust was measured in Capel Curig, north Wales, as well as 67mph in Aberdaron.
In south-east England, 54mph winds blasted Langdon Bay in Kent and gusts of 52mph were recorded in Thorney Island, West Sussex.
And the weekend will be just as blustery.
It will be extremely breezy today with gale force winds over hills.
Rain will be particularly heavy and more persistent in the west clearing a little in the east during the afternoon, with showers and maybe a glimmer of sunshine. Temperatures are expected to limp up to a maximum of 11C before dropping sharply again.
It will remain very windy on Saturday with icy cold showers bringing misery and wintry conditions on high ground.
The yellow weather warning runs from noon today until 6pm on Saturday. Bookies Coral make it odds-on at 10-11 for the wind speed to reach 100mph in the UK this week.