Kathleen cuts Britain in half
East coast hits 21C, hotter than the Algarve – as West is battered by 70mph winds
BRITAIN turned into a divided nation yesterday with one side recording the hottest day of the year and the other battered by Storm Kathleen.
As the temperature reached an unseasonable 21.4C (70.5F) on the east coast of England, gusts of 73mph brought chaos to the entire west coast of the UK and parts of Northern Ireland.
Lakenheath in Suffolk recorded the top temperature of the day – the result of warm air sweeping in from the continent – leaving holiday destinations in the Algarve and Spain in the shade at 19C (66F). Although, after a gloriously sunny day, the tail-end of the storm eventually reached the south east early yesterday evening, bringing heavy showers in some areas.
As the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind along the western half of the country, thousands of travellers were left stranded with over 140 flights cancelled at airports including Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Belfast City.
Winds of 73mph were recorded in Drumalbin, Lanarkshire, while South Uist, in the Western Isles, notched up gusts of 70mph.
Last night an estimated 34,000 households were left without power in Ireland. Rail services were badly affected and P&O Ferries cancelled the sailings between Larne in Northern Ireland and Cairnryan in Scotland until 4pm. Fire services also rushed to the aid of residents in Atherton, Manchester, when strong winds toppled a crane on to a house. Part of the roof of the Titanic Belfast museum was also damaged by the storm.
The Environment Agency issued 14 flood warnings and 113 flood alerts in England, including for York city centre where the river Ouse burst its banks. The agency also posted 45 ‘red cautions’ for strong streams on the Thames, advising users of all boats ‘not to navigate’, while National Resources Wales posted six flood alerts. However, in calmer parts of the country the mild weather saw dozens of beachgoers in Margate and Bournemouth swap raincoats for swim shorts and bask in the sunshine, while punters in Cambridge enjoyed the still waters of the river Cam.
Yesterday’s temperature was the highest since 19.9C (67F) was recorded at the end of January in Achfary in north west Scotland.
Met Office meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer said Storm Kathleen was behind the warmer temperatures as it dragged a southerly wind across the country. She added: ‘The storm is the reason we are seeing the warmer temperatures because the location – situated out towards the west of the country – is bringing a southerly wind.’
Storm Kathleen is expected to ease further tonight but another weather system towards the south west is expected to replace it, according to the Met Office, with gusts of up to 70mph expected again on Tuesday. Named by the Irish meteorological service Met Eireann, Storm Kathleen is the 11th named storm in eight months. It is only the second time in a UK storm season that the letter K has been reached in the alphabet.
Ms Glaisyer added: ‘Outbreaks of rain through tomorrow will affect western parts of the UK. As we go into Tuesday we’ll see the strongest wind across the south west of the country. It’s coming quickly after Storm Kathleen. It’s not out of the question warnings could be issued.’