LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – As the UK prepares for a second storm, travel delays and power outages are persisting in many parts of the country.
In north-east England, Cumbria, North Yorkshire, and Lancashire, thousands of people were without power as a result of Storm Dudley.
On Wednesday evening, all trains in Scotland were cancelled and many lines were still closed on Thursday morning.
On Friday, More severe weather is predicted on Friday, with an amber wind warning in effect for much of England and Wales.
Storm Eunice, with winds of up to 80 mph, is causing major disruption and posing a threat to life, according to the Met Office.
Gusts of up to 100 mph are expected along the beaches of south-west England and west Wales, according to the Met Office.
On Friday, from 03:00 GMT to 21:00 GMT, an amber warning is in effect that extends as far north as Manchester.
Due to predicted disruption, London North East Railway advised customers with tickets for Friday journeys between York and Leeds and London’s Kings Cross to change their plans to Thursday.
Due to altered timings and speed limits, Avanti West Coast advised clients not to travel on Friday, stating that they might instead use their tickets on Thursday or Saturday.
Transport for Wales has also issued a warning that train services may be disrupted, advising customers to double-check before travelling.
Ferry routes in Scotland are still being disrupted by cancellations.
The Met Office has also issued the following weather warnings:
- Regions of northern Scotland are under a yellow ice warning until 10:00.
- From 03:00 to 18:00 on Friday, a yellow warning for wind and snow has been issued for most of Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England, and as far north as Glasgow.
The Cumbrian coastline and Keswick Campsite are under two flood warnings, and alerts for floods(42) have been issued across northern England.
A flood warning has been issued from Ayr to Troon in Scotland, along with five other flood alerts.
The extreme weather is expected to lessen on Thursday before worsening on Friday, according to the Met Office.
However, Network Rail has cautioned that railway services in northern and central England may still be disrupted on Thursday, citing the fact that some routes have already been impacted by cancellations and delays owing to fallen trees. It recommended travellers to double-check their travel plans before leaving.
On Wednesday, all trains were stopped at 16:00. ScotRail stated most of its services would be withdrawn until around 10:00 while safety checks were carried out.
Northern Powergrid said on Thursday morning that it had restored electricity to roughly 19,000 homes and businesses, but that about 1,000 units were still without power.
Electricity North West stated on Wednesday evening that it had restored power to 630 properties, while 1,577 remained without power.
Nearly 1,700 houses in Wigan were without electricity at one time.
In Durham, there are approximately 1,000 dwellings.
The Energy Networks Association’s Ross Easton informed the BBC that there were preparations in expectation of more power outages caused by Storm Eunice.
