Storm Ciara Trees down and traffic problems
STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN BRING DISRUPTION TO ROADS AND COMEDY FESTIVAL Roads in the borough closed after Storm Ciara blows in on Sunday as flights, trains and events cancelled across county
STORM Ciara brought chaos to Leicestershire and Rutland on Sunday and Monday as strong winds and heavy rain battered the area.
The Met Office issued an amber wind warning as many roads throughout the county, including the M1, the A50, the A42 and the A47, were blocked by fallen trees and a wind-damaged gantry.
Rail passengers suffered major disruption as trains in and out of London via Leicester were delayed and cancelled due to flooded tracks and a blocked line between Bedford and St Pancras.
Rail firms advised passengers not to travel on Sunday.
Three flights at East Midlands Airport were cancelled and others were delayed.
Tiles were ripped from a building in Leicester city centre and a road was closed due to an unsafe structure in Kibworth, near Market Har borough.
More than 100 homes throughout Leicestershire were left without power for hours due to disruption caused by the high winds.
The stormy weather also saw comedian Mark Watson call off his show at the Sue Townsend Theatre, Leicester, last night.
Watson said he had cancelled due to the “insane travel conditions” caused by the storm.
He tweeted: “The show is about how I survived three weeks on (Channel 4 reality show) The Island with Bear Grylls, so it’s doubly embarrassing/ironic. We are finding a new date right now.”
He said he was working with the theatre to try to reschedule the show.
Leicestershire County Council closed all of its tips and its highways teams worked round-the-clock in response to the effects of Storm Ciara.
The authority said it had received more than 60 reports of storm damage to trees, with a number of road closures also in place.
A spokesman said: “The county council’s recycling and household waste sites across the county will also remain closed for the rest of the day as a result of the high winds.”
Farmers and residents teamed up to help remove a “massive tree” blocking a road near Lutterworth.
Witness Jason Woodcock said: “This was the main road between Claybrooke Magna and Lutterworth. It was closed after a 100ft ash tree fell in the high winds and blocked the road.
“Local residents, farmer and a member of HM forces came together to clear the debris.”
Firefighters dealt with incidents across the city and county.
The A42 was closed in both directions for hours due to gantry signs damaged by winds. The stretch of road affected was between Junction 13 for Ashby and Junction 23a of the M1 near East Midlands Airport.
A fallen tree blocked a lane of the M1 northbound between junction 21a for the A46 and junction 22 for Markfield until the obstruction was cleared.
The A50 westbound was blocked for a while by a fallen tree on Bradgate Hill, approaching the Field Head roundabout, in Markfield.
As well as dealing with unsafe chimney pots in Kegworth, fire crews offered advice on two fallen trees in Anstey, and also dealt with a tree which had fallen through a mobile home at Ranksborough Hall, Langham, in Rutland.
They also dealt with unsafe walls on a building where windows had collapsed in high winds in George Street, Barwell, and roof tiles hanging off a building in Oxford Street, Loughborough.
A fire crew was called on to remove unsafe chimney pots in Kibworth with the aid of an aerial ladder platform.
The road was closed while the operation took place.