Storm Arwen leaves 135,000 without power

More than 100,000 people have suffered power cuts as Storm Arwen lashed the UK with winds of up to 160 kilometres an hour.

Falling trees killed three people – one in Northern Ireland, one in Cumbria, northern England, and one in Aberdeenshire, northern Scotland.

Snow fell across Scotland and northern England as strong winds battered the region. Amber and yellow warnings remained in place yesterday across much of the country.

Gusts of 160kph hit Brizlee Wood in Northumberland, the UK’s Met Office said.

“Many roads remain closed so please only travel if absolutely necessary,” it said on Twitter.

About 55,000 customers lost power across Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear, all in northern England. Another 80,000 also suffered power cuts caused by the storm.

“We’ve seen some pretty severe gusts overnight,” said Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna. “Elsewhere, exposed sites in Scotland and Northern Ireland also surpassed 90mph [145kph], with 70-80mph seen more widely in the north of the UK, though parts of southern England and Wales also felt the effects of the storm.

“This has been coupled with a few inches of snow which has fallen in some areas.

“In the higher ground areas of Scotland we expected to see up to 15cm falling but the strong winds meant the snow blew around and created a blizzard in some parts.”

ScotRail services were disrupted between Edinburgh and Glasgow Queen Street, Dunblane and Stirling after a barn was blown on to the line close to Polmont, near Falkirk.

TransPennine Express customers were urged not to travel, with services between Newcastle and Edinburgh cancelled.

Homes across the UK were damaged by the storm.

Dorset Council, on England’s southern coast, reported that trees and power cables had fallen on roads in the area.

Road closures were reported more widely in the worst-affected parts of northern England and Scotland.

The Met Office gave a warning that north-east and northwest England, the West Midlands and the East Midlands will experience cold weather until tomorrow.