UK weather - live: Storm Ciara brings emergency landings, flood defence failures and travel disruption as 93mph winds pummel Britain
More than 20,000 homes have spent the night without power as the UK continues to reel from Storm Ciara.
UK Power Networks reported more than 18,500 properties across the east and southeast of England were still without power as of 5am Monday while Western Power Distribution said more than 2,800 homes were in the dark.
Parts of the UK continue to brace for blizzards and up to 20cm of snow in the wake of the storm, with travel disruption set to continue.
Some areas saw a month and a half’s rainfall in just 24 hours and gusts of more than 90mph swept across the country on Sunday. Meanwhile, 178 flood warnings in place across the country.
A yellow warning for wind remains in force for the whole UK until midnight, with strong winds, heavy showers, snow and ice expected today.
Warnings for heavy snow and strong winds are also is in place for Northern Ireland and most of Scotland and a warning of snow and ice is in force for northwest England throughout Monday and Tuesday.
A yellow warning for wind in the South is in place between 10am and 5pm on Monday.
Flood warnings Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria (PA) There are currently 162 flood warnings and 265 alerts in place across the whole of the UK.
The town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, in Cumbria, was severely hit by flooding on Sunday.
While the River Irwell burst its banks in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, and areas including Blackpool, Whalley, Longton and Rossendale, were affected by flooding in Lancashire.
For rail travellers the working week begins with widespread disarray after Storm Ciara wrought devastation on Sunday, writes travel correspondent Simon Calder.
Trains are likely to be extremely busy because passengers prevented from travelling on Sunday will be hoping to complete their journeys.
Network Rail warns: “Damage to overhead lines and tracks caused by debris or fallen trees could severely impact passenger services on Monday 10 February.”
Storm Ciara helps British Airways beat flight record
A British Airways flight has likely broken the fastest-ever subsonic New York to London crossing time after reaching speeds of more than 800mph.
Passenger plane records over the Atlantic tumbled overnight on Saturday and Sunday as Storm Ciara hurtled towards Britain on the back of a 200mph jet stream.
According to Flightradar24, an online flight tracking service, a British Airways Boeing 747 departing JFK airport on Saturday reached Heathrow in 4 hours 56 minutes shortly after 11.20pm.
London Stansted and Gatwick airports are expecting delays and cancellations to flights in the wake of Storm Ciara.
Gatwick said it was expecting "some knock-on delays and cancellations to flights" in an update this morning.
The airport advised anyone planning to travel today to check the latest information about their flight with their airline.
Stansted said it was operating as normal but warned passengers to allow extra time for their journey as yesterday's flight cancellations have caused a "10 per cent uplift of departing passengers".
Football club does not have money to repair broken stand
Wisbech Town FC has admitted it could struggle to repair an entire stand destroyed by powerful winds during Storm Ciara.
The non-league football club shared photos on Twitter of the north stand at Fenland Stadium, in Cambridgeshire, which they said has been "completely destroyed".
Spencer Larham, secretary of the club, told PA: "It's been there 10 years - since the stadium was built - and has survived stronger winds than this but it was the direction which did the damage.
"I've spoken to our chairman Paul Brenchley and he says we're looking at £20,000 minimum to remove and replace that stand."
Mr Larham told BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money programme that the sum "isn't money we have lying around".
Leading sport administrators must strive to rearrange a slew of fixtures which were postponed on Sunday due to Storm Ciara.
Winds up to 85mph battered the UK and Ireland, leading to football, horse racing, rugby union and rugby league fixtures being scrapped, and now the race is on to rejig schedules as quickly as possible.
Manchester City’s Premier League clash with West Ham, Sunday’s two Super League games between Huddersfield and Leeds, and Wakefield and Catalans Dragons, and the entire Women’s Super League programme all fell foul of the weather.
Emergency vets issues cold weather advice for pets (iStock)
An emergency vets has issued a cold weather warning to pet owners as disruption from Storm Ciara continues.
Vets Now expects to see a rise in cold weather-related cases at its hospitals and clinics across the country, including frostbite on paws, breathing difficulties in dogs with short noses, and pets injuring themselves on icy and slippery surfaces.
Laura Playforth, head of veterinary standards at Vets Now, has compiled a list of tips on how to keep your pet safe:
1. If it’s too cold for you, it’s too cold for your pet
Keep your pets inside, especially overnight, when temperatures plummet, otherwise they run the risk of getting frostbite or hypothermia.
2. Go on shorter, more frequent walks
It’s worth considering taking your dog on shorter, more frequent walks to protect them from weather-associated health risks.
3. Wash and dry your pet’s feet following walks
Salt and chemicals used to grit roads and pavements can be an irritant to your pet’s pads, especially if they have any small cracks or redness between the toes, so always wipe their paws with a cloth and warm water when you get home.
4. Don’t let your pet fall victim to antifreeze
Remove ice from vehicles using an old-fashioned scraper, keep containers of antifreeze locked away and clean up any spills quickly, as even small amounts can be deadly.
5. Keep a close eye on your car
Cats who are allowed outside during cold spells may try to cosy up on a warm vehicle engine. Check underneath your car and bang on the bonnet before starting the engine to make sure you don’t have a feline hitchhiker.
6. Swot up on your pet’s breed
Just like humans, some pets, such as husky dogs and Persian cats, are more tolerant to cold weather than others. Make sure you do your homework on your breed.
7. Consider a jumper or coat
It’s a myth that dogs and cats are more resistant than people to cold just because they have fur. Consider putting a dry sweater on your pet before going outside and always take spares in case they get wet.
8. Make sure your pet is wearing a collar and is microchipped
9. Beware of heat stroke
Short-nosed dogs, in particular, are at risk of suffering heat stroke if they exercise vigorously in freezing temperatures and then settle in a warm house.
A motorist had a lucky escape after their car fell into a large sinkhole on a residential road in Essex.
Firefighters were called to reports that a sewer had partially collapsed after the hole appeared in Hatch Road, Brentwood, in the early hours of this morning.
Hundreds of flights cancelled and ferries disrupted The DFDS Calais Seaways (Gareth Fuller/PA) Airlines operating to and from UK airports continue to be affected by the weather conditions, with more than 100 flights cancelled.
British Airways and easyJet appeared to be the worst affected, although several other airlines were also hit.
By 11am, some 33 of Heathrow's Monday departures were cancelled - equivalent to 5 per cent of flights - and a further 82 were delayed by at least 15 minutes.
British Airways said "safety is at the heart of everything we do" and stressed the airline is "carefully assessing every flight".
It added: "We are sorry for the disruption to your travel plans and are doing all we can to get you to your destination as quickly as we can."
Passengers due to travel on domestic and European flights on Monday were able to re-book to an alternative date.
P&O Ferries said it was forced to cancel several sailings between Dover and Calais due to the knock-on effect of the weekend's weather.
Another ferry firm, DFDS, said its services on the route were disrupted due to the Channel's weather conditions.
A number of London's Royal Parks have reopened today after debris caused by Storm Ciara was cleared and safety checks completed.
Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James' Park, Green Park, Victoria Tower Gardens, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park have all reopened.
M11 closed amid fears aircraft hangar roof could blow off
The M11 is closed in both directions amid fears the roof of an aircraft hangar at Duxford Imperial War Museum could be blown into the road.
The museum, which remains closed today, wrote in an update on Twitter: "Due to extreme weather caused by Storm Ciara in Cambridgeshire in the last 24 hours, we are assessing the damage caused to the air hangars at IWM Duxford and working with engineers to ensure the buildings remain structurally sound when it is safe to do so.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and working with the emergency services and local authorities to take the necessary precautions.
"IWM Duxford will remain closed today (Monday 10th February) and will re-open once deemed safe to do."
