UK hit by storm; 2 dead in rough seas

LONDON — Storm Dennis roared across the United Kingdom on Saturday, lashing towns and cities with high winds and heavy rain.

The fourth named storm of the season prompted widespread travel disruptions and had the potential to cause more damage than last weekend’s Storm Ciara.

Rescuers pulled two male bodies from rough seas off the coast of southeast England and military personnel mobilized to help build flood barriers on Saturday.

The body of one man was pulled out of the sea by a lifeboat from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and followed a seven-hour search that involved a Royal Navy vessel. The search commenced before dawn after a distress call came from the B Gas Margrethe, a Maltese tanker that had been anchored off the coastal town of Margate.

In a separate incident, the body of a second man was pulled from the sea in the afternoon. Authorities said the death was not being treated as suspicious.

The Met Office, UK’s national weather service, issued over 250 flood warnings for England, Scotland and Wales.

The Irish Meteorologist Service issued a number of wind warnings, saying gusts of up to 120 kph might be seen. Gale warnings were also issued in Iceland.

Airlines preemptively canceled hundreds of flights out of London and other UK airports, and railways warned about possible train delays and cancellations.

Tens of thousands of passengers were being affected on a busy travel day for British families, as most schools in the country closed down for a mid-winter break.

Easyjet canceled around 230 flights in and out of the country as wind speeds were set to hit 113 kph. British Airways also canceled flights.

The weather is expected to strike all areas of Britain, including parts of northern England still recovering from Storm Ciara last weekend.

That storm left at least eight people dead across Europe, including two in the UK.

Around 75 British army personnel and 70 reservists were helping out stretched communities in the flood-hit Calder Valley region in West Yorkshire, constructing barriers and repairing damaged flood defenses.

“Our armed forces are always ready to support local authorities and communities whenever they need it,” UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.

“The rapid response of the Army will help with provision of flood relief to local communities in West Yorkshire.”

BEN BIRCHALL / AP Waves pound a harbor wall at Porthcawl, Wales, as Storm Dennis hits on Saturday.