Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Nadia Khomami

Storm Imogen batters UK with close to 100mph winds - latest updates

Storm Imogen: massive waves hit Welsh seafront homes

Storm Imogen has caused significant travel disruption. Here’s a summary of the main travel news, with information from the Press Association and Highways England.

  • All trains in and out of Cornwall were cancelled after a Cross Country service from Penzance to Glasgow struck a tree that fell across tracks about a mile from Bodmin Parkway at 9.30am. No one was injured and passengers were evacuated by firefighters, Network Rail said. The tree was later removed and the line running into Cornwall reopened, but services leaving the country are still suspended as the damaged train is yet to be removed.
  • Arriva Trains Wales, Great Western Railway, the Gatwick Express, South West Trains, Southern and Thameslink services have all been hit with delays, alterations, cancellations and speed restrictions.
  • The M48 Severn Bridge is shut in both directions because of strong winds, as is the A282 Dartford Crossing, east of London, which carries traffic southbound. Traffic was being diverted through one of the northbound tunnel bores, causing severe delays for traffic in both directions.
  • The A1 in Bedfordshire is closed between the A603 and A421, due to an overturned lorry.
  • DFDS and P&O ferries between Dover and Calais are affected, while services from Liverpool to Dublin and from Newhaven to Dieppe are cancelled. There are major delays and cancellations on Brittany Ferries crossings between south coast ports and northern France, while journeys between the UK and Spain in the coming days are also disrupted.
A view of the QEII Bridge at the Dartford Crossing in Dartford, Kent, which was closed to traffic due to strong winds .
A view of the QEII Bridge at the Dartford Crossing in Dartford, Kent, which was closed to traffic due to strong winds . Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Here is a summary of the human toll of Storm Imogen, as compiled by the Press Association:

  • A search is under way for an RSPCA inspector who is missing after rescuing sea birds shortly before Storm Imogen took hold. Mike Reid was called out to help save around 30 gannets that were stranded on rocks near Penzance on Sunday afternoon, but has not been seen since then.
  • Two children aged five and seven were taken to hospital with serious leg injuries after a stone garden wall fell on them on Monday morning in the Worcestershire village of Bretforton near Evesham. Less than two weeks ago, the council had inspected the wall and confirmed there was no immediate danger to the public.
  • An elderly man suffered a broken leg and his dog was killed when a 5ft garden wall blew on to them in Bognor Regis, West Sussex. Paramedics pulled the man, who is in his 70s, from the rubble shortly before 8am, but his dog could not be saved.
  • A father and daughter near Exeter in Devon had a lucky escape when a 30m (100ft) tree was blown on to their car parked outside their house, minutes before they were about to leave to travel to school.
  • A man also had to be rescued from his car which hit a fallen tree at Lyndhurst in the New Forest, Hampshire, trapping him in the vehicle on Sunday evening.
  • Bridgend town centre was closed by police as strong winds blew tiles from roofs
  • In Bristol, a man in his 40s was injured after trees fell on to a three-storey block of flats.

Updated

More information is coming in about the missing man in Cornwall, Mike Reid.

Reid is an RSPCA inspector who went missing after attending the rescue of dozens of sea birds at Porthchapel Beach, near Penzance, at approximately 2pm on Sunday.

The alarm was raised this morning when he had failed to return home from duty, and the RSPCA is working alongside Devon and Cornwall Police and the Coastguard to find him. Dermot Murphy, the RSPCA’s assistant director for the inspectorate, said:

We are extremely concerned and urge anyone who may have seen Mike yesterday to contact Devon and Cornwall Police who are leading the search.

He has not been seen since he responded to a call to our National Control Centre about stricken birds yesterday.

We are in close contact with his family and will continue to provide ongoing support through the search.

Afternoon summary

Storm Imogen has battered Britain with winds of nearly 100mph and waves as high as 19.1m off some coastlines. This has resulted in:

  • Road closures and delays to rail and ferry services, with airports warning that journeys may be disrupted.
  • The Environment Agency issuing almost 300 warnings across the UK, 59 of them calling for “immediate action”, particularly in the south west and Wales.
  • Up to 7,000 homes being left without power, and scores of schools closing.
  • Several injuries - two children were airlifted to hospital when a wall collapsed on them, a man had to be rescued from his car after it hit a fallen tree, an elderly man suffered a broken leg and his dog was killed when a garden wall blew on to them, and a man in his 40s was injured after trees fell onto a three-storey block of flats in Bristol. Police are also searching for a man who went missing in the Porthcurno area of Cornwall.

Updated

Highways England has advised drivers in Kent that the QEII bridge at the Dartford Crossing and the A249 Sheppey Crossing are likely to remain closed through the afternoon due to winds of up to 60mph.

You can check updates from various Highways England twitter accounts here.

The town centre in Bridgend, south Wales, has been closed due to falling roof tiles.

Why are we seeing stormy weather? The Met Office explains:

Fishermen were reportedly in tears after the storm battered their boats, according to one Twitter user.

Police name missing 64-year-old man in Penzance

Police have named a 64-year-old man who went missing in the Porthcurno area of Penzance on Sunday, the BBC reports. Police and coastguard teams are carrying out a sea and coastal path search after Mike Reid failed to return from work. His white van was located at the Minack Theatre car park.

Reid is described as white, 5ft 8ins tall, of stocky build, with short greying spiked hair. He was wearing black trousers, a white shirt and black jumper.

Insp Jean Phillips said: “We are extremely concerned for Mike’s welfare, particularly with the wet and windy weather overnight.”

More than 7,000 properties are without power, according to Western Power Distribution. See this map for affected areas.

Reports are coming in of a number of injuries due to poor weather conditions.

A man had to be rescued from his car which hit a tree which had fallen on Romsey Road at Lyndhurst in the New Forest, Hampshire, trapping him in the vehicle. The Press Association reports that fire crews from Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst helped free the driver who was treated by paramedics for minor injuries following the incident at 11.30pm on Sunday.

In Bognor Regis an elderly man suffered a broken leg and his dog was killed when a 5ft garden wall blew on to them. Paramedics pulled the man, in his 70s, from the rubble shortly before 8am, but his dog could not be saved.

A spokesman for South East Coast Ambulance Service said: “The man, who suffered suspected fractures to his leg - what seems like a double leg break - was fully conscious while he was being treated and was taken as a priority to St Richard’s Hospital.”

In Bristol a man in his 40s was injured after trees fell onto a three-storey block of flats.
One tree crashed through the roof of the building in St Annes and into the man’s flat, Avon Fire and Rescue Service said. He was treated at the scene for a minor head injury.

In Wales, Aberystwyth’s sea front was closed while in Bridgend shoppers were ushered away from several town centre streets by police because of fallen roof tiles. Pensioner Jon Collins, 67, was out grocery shopping with wife Trudy when some slates fell off a roof. He said: “Caroline Street is totally off limits, the shops down there have had to close early. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The wind is so strong it almost takes your breath away.”

Updated

Here’s a picture of the lorry that blew over on the A30.

Here’s a summary of what’s happened so far:

  • Winds of nearly 100mph have battered Britain.
  • Waves as high as 19.1m have been recorded off various coasts.
  • Gales and heavy rain forced road closures and delays to rail and ferry services, with airports warning that journeys may be disrupted.
  • The Environment Agency issued almost 300 warnings across the UK, 59 of them calling for “immediate action”, particularly in the south west and Wales.
  • The Met Office issued amber “be prepared” warnings of wind for much of the south-west and there is a yellow “be aware” warning of gusts throughout Monday.
  • Two children were airlifted to hospital when a wall collapsed on them.
  • Up to 5,000 homes were left without power, and scores of schools were closed.

Updated

Two children were airlifted to hospital when a wall collapsed on them due to strong winds. The youngsters, a boy and girl aged five and seven, suffered serious leg injuries when the stone garden wall fell on them on Monday morning in the Worcestershire village of Bretforton near Evesham.

Emergency services were called out at 8.55am to the B4035, the main road through the village, and firefighters pulled the pair from the rubble. Paramedics stabilised them before they were flown to hospital for treatment, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said.

A father and daughter near Exeter in Devon also reportedly had a lucky escape when a 30.5m tree was blown onto their car parked outside their house, minutes before they were about to leave to travel to school.

Updated

A 19.1m wave has been recorded off the coast of St Ives.

The waves recorded off the Isles of Scilly are higher than three double-decker buses:

Storm Imogen - in pictures

A house in Hampshire where a crew from Gosport Fire Station were called to help as a trampoline got stuck on the roof of a conservatory following high winds.
A house in Hampshire where a crew from Gosport Fire Station were called to help as a trampoline got stuck on the roof of a conservatory following high winds. Photograph: Gosport Fire Station/PA
Storm Imogen hits Weston Super Mare, Britain.
Storm Imogen hits Weston Super Mare, Britain. Photograph: Roger Askew/REX/Shutterstock
Waves crash against the harbour wall in Lyme Regis, Dorset.
Waves crash against the harbour wall in Lyme Regis, Dorset. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA
Storm Imogen hits Clevedon, near Bristol.
Storm Imogen hits Clevedon, near Bristol. Photograph: Roger Askew/REX/Shutterstock
The P&O Pride of Burgundy is battered by waves as she arrives at the Port of Dover in Kent.
The P&O Pride of Burgundy is battered by waves as she arrives at the Port of Dover in Kent. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Search units stood down in search for missing man

Avon and Somerset Police have said their units have been stood down from the search for the man in the River Tone. “We’re satisfied there’s no one in the water and the information we originally received was incorrect,” a force spokesman said.

In the latest instalment of reporters brave poor weather conditions to bring you news:

There have been various reports of minor damage from the bad weather.

The Forestry Commission said it had closed a number of forests due to dangers from strong winds.

Coastlines in the South, West and Ireland have been battered, with seafronts lashed by huge swells. Waves of up to 14 metres are expected off the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, though tides and currents mean they are unlikely to hit land.

Other incidents are being reported on social media, including a lorry blowing over on the A30.

A tree has also blown over in Devon.

A train travelling from Penzance to Glasgow has crashed into a tree on the main line through Cornwall. Network Rail says nobody’s been hurt and engineers are en route to inspect the track for any damage.

River search under way for missing man

A major river search is under way for a man missing in Taunton.

The Press Association reports that Avon and Somerset Police were alerted at 8.15am by a member of the public to reports that a man had entered the River Tone, near to Priory Bridge Road. A police spokesman said:

We were called just about 8.15am by a member of the public to reports of a man in the River Tone. We are in attendance with the ambulance and fire service and we are searching for the man. As yet we have not found anyone.

The spokesman added that inquiries were under way to try and establish how the man entered the water.

The BBC reports that the following schools in Cornwall have been affected:

  • Cape Cornwall School has been evacuated after damage to the sports hall roof
  • Penponds School in Camborne has closed because of a power cut
  • St Dennis school has closed because of a power cut
  • Tintagel Primary School has closed because of a power cut
  • Ladock C of E School is closed until 13:00, also because of power problems
  • Cury C of E Primary school near Helston is opening late

A simple tennis ball test at Weston-Super-Mare demostrates the strength of the wind.

The bad weather is disrupting both sea and air travel.

DFDS and P&O ferries between Dover and Calais are affected, while services from Liverpool to Dublin and from Newhaven to Dieppe are cancelled.

There are major delays and cancellations on Brittany Ferries crossings between south coast ports and northern France, while journeys between the UK and Spain in the coming days are also disrupted.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport warned: “Due to air traffic restrictions due to adverse weather, some flights may be subject to delay. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline.”

Britain’s trampolines are flying!

This pressure sequence video from the Met Office shows the arrival of Storm Imogen on UK shores.

The bad weather has been affecting some schools, the BBC reports. Tintagel primary school in Cornwall is closed and Cury school won’t open until 10am because of a power cut.

One Twitter user reports that the beach in Exmouth seems to have expanded quite a bit.

Waves are crashing into Lyme Regis.

Meanwhile, at the Headland Hotel:

You can share your eyewitness accounts, photos and videos or news tips direct with our journalists by email, text or via a tweet. You can also do so by clicking on the blue buttons in the live blog. Though we’d like to hear from you, your safety and security is most important so please make sure you put your safety and the safety of others first. Extreme weather events can be very unpredictable and carry very real risks.

Updated

Almost 300 Environment Agency flood warnings are in place across the UK amid heavy downpours, with 59 warnings calling for “immediate action”.

Updated

Huge waves were captured in St Mary’s, Isle of Scilly, this morning. The entrance to the quay at the harbour has been closed until tomorrow.

Waves are lashing the coast in Jersey, according to photos uploaded by ITV journalist Gary Burgess.

Almost 5,000 homes left without power

Almost 5,000 homes in the South West, Midlands and Wales have been left without power due to high winds. Areas including St Austell, Truro, Newquay, Tintagel and Troon have been affected. Western Power Distribution says it hopes to restore supplies to all homes by noon.

Updated

Keep up to date with National Rail service disruptions here. At present, a signalling problem between Wareham and Weymouth is causing disruption to journeys between Southampton Central and Weymouth.

Disruptions to South West Trains can be checked here. There are currently four train cancellations.

And British Airways customers can check their flight details here.

Updated

This video of the coast in Bournemouth shows the storm coming in:

In Brighton, winds appear to have affected scaffolding and at least one rooftop:

Wave watchers in coastal areas have been warned to keep a safe distance from seafronts, with 14m swells expected in the Channel.

Commuters urged to check their routes

Highways England has shut the Severn Bridge on the M48 to all vehicles. A stretch A35 bypass at Dorchester is also closed due to flooding, and winds are expected to be “particularly strong” across the south of England from 11am, forcing speed restrictions.

A spokesman for Highways England urged drivers to “check their routes and change their journeys accordingly” before setting off in the morning rush hour.

Rail travellers have been warned to expect disruption to journeys and urged to check before they travel, especially on coastal routes, with many services potentially delayed, altered or cancelled.

Speed restrictions at various times will be imposed on routes operated by Arriva Trains Wales, Great Western Railway, Southern, South West Trains, the Gatwick Express, Southeastern and Thameslink services until at least 5pm due to high winds, according to National Rail Enquiries.

The storm is also expected to track eastwards along the south coast throughout Monday and threaten ferry services from the Port of Dover, which had to close for around two hours into Monday, disrupting services:

A Network Rail spokeswoman said inspections were ongoing although no damage or blockages on the network had been found.

Updated

Wind speeds of up to 93mph were recorded at The Needles off the Isle of Wight in the early hours of this morning. Along the south coast, gales blew constantly at around 40mph, reaching up to 70mph in Cornwall.

Social media users have been sharing pictures of the effects of the storm, including this one, from Limerick, Ireland:

Updated

Morning summary

Winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain overnight as Storm Imogen hit the south coast of England.

The Environment Agency issued 62 flood warnings requiring immediate action for parts of the south-west, the south-east and Wales as the winter storm swept in following widespread persistent rain on Sunday. The Met Office issued amber “be prepared” warnings of wind for much of the south-west and there is a yellow “be aware” warning of gusts throughout Monday stretching from southern Wales to the Thames estuary.

Keep up to date with the latest developments on this live blog.

Updated

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
The America’s Next Top Model documentary is deeply disturbing — because we’ve seen it all before
I was expecting an exposé, but the ugly truth has been out there since it aired
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
‘Our reservation was canceled by some guy who works for Marriott in Las Vegas’: Couple checks into Westin on honeymoon. Then they get stranded in Cabo
A couple on their honeymoon has sparked discussion on TikTok after claiming Marriott cancelled their reservation at a Westin resort in Cabo, Mexico, without any prior notice.
The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
‘Heath Ledger knocked my tooth out jousting with a broom’: how we made A Knight’s Tale
‘The lances were made of balsa wood and filled with uncooked spaghetti – so that when they broke, there’d be an explosion of what looked like splinters’
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Part star, part supporting actor, Robert Duvall lit up 1970s American cinema – and kept going
Robert Duvall, who has died at the age of 95, will be remembered for a glittering career that saw him appear in two of American cinema’s most iconic films. But let’s not forget the other hundred or so more across a career spanning six decades.
The Conversation
The Conversation
‘Unintentionally among the queerest releases of its time’: why Calamity Jane is my feelgood movie
The latest in our ongoing series of writers picking their comfort watches is an appreciation of Doris Day’s rule-defying heroine
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Netflix’s new drama miniseries is based on a shocking true story — but it’s too intense to binge-watch
Netflix’s new drama series “Lead Children” has crashed the top 10, following a young doctor racing to uncover why children near an industrial plant are falling ill.
Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play