Flights, trains and ferries were cancelled, motorists faced long delays and thousands of properties were left without power across the UK and Ireland after Storm Bram brought heavy rain and strong winds.
By Tuesday night, there were more than 300 flood warnings or alerts across the UK and sporting matches and festive events were cancelled because of the weather.
High waves battered coastlines, and in some parts of the UK two weeks’ typical seasonal rainfall fell in little over 24 hours.
The Met Office reported that 11.2cm of rain fell on White Barrow on Dartmoor in Devon in the 24 hours up to 3pm on Tuesday. At nearby Princetown there was 7.9cm. The December average total for Princetown is about 20cm. In Treherbert in south Wales, 8.4cm fell. Gusts of 83mph were recorded in Capel Curig and Aberdaron in north Wales.
The UK Met Office’s amber weather warnings – the second most severe – remained in place for north-west Scotland and Northern Ireland into Tuesday night. There are yellow warnings for wind on Wednesday in Scotland, though conditions were calming in other parts of the UK.
There were lucky escapes for some people. A driver was pulled from her submerged car after it was swept about 40 metres downstream from a flooded ford near Ringwood in Hampshire. As she attempted to reverse out, the surging water dragged her Ford Focus down the stream. A member of the public helped get the woman out of the car.
Four people were also helped from cars in Thornford, Dorset, after a number of vehicles became stuck on a flooded road, and there were several more rescues from vehicles in Cornwall.
Firefighters in Devon rescued two people from the roof of their car after it became stranded in flood water in the village of Teigngrace on the River Teign near Newton Abbot. Both people were reported as safe and well.
There were long delays on some motorways, including on the Severn crossings between south-west England and south Wales. Problems were compounded by concerns lighting columns on the Prince of Wales Bridge could collapse, meaning only one lane was open in each direction.
Great Western Railway said flooding significantly affected its services on Tuesday. Trains between London and south-west England and Wales were cancelled, delayed or diverted. In Cornwall, the line between Par and Newquay was closed due to flooding and in Devon flooding of a tunnel between Totnes and Ivybridge caused disruption.
Part of the M66 in Greater Manchester was shut after flooding and a crash involving multiple vehicles.
Thousands of households in south-west England, the Midlands and Wales were left without power.
Approximately 25,000 homes, farms and businesses were without power across the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday evening.
Transport for Wales and Network Rail Scotland said some lines were closed because of flooding. The Scottish west coast ferry operator CalMac said all its routes were affected by cancellations or disruptions.
Dozens of flights into and out of Belfast and Dublin airports were cancelled. Belfast’s Christmas market was shut as was the causeway to St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. Sporting fixtures called off included Port Vale’s League One match against Bradford, which was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Extreme rainfall is more common and more intense because of human-caused climate breakdown, particularly in Europe, most of Asia, central and eastern North America and parts of South America, Africa and Australia. Warmer air can hold more water vapour.
Flooding has probably become more frequent and severe in these locations as a result but is also affected by human factors such as the existence of flood defences and land use.
Charlotte Morgan, Natural Resources Wales’s duty tactical manager, said the rain was falling on saturated ground and rivers were already swollen.
She said: “We’re urging people to be vigilant and to make preparations for potential flooding now. You can check if you live in an area at risk of flooding on our website and sign up for our free flood warning service.”
A new non-profit initiative called Flooded People UK said people in areas prone to flooding were exhausted.
Louis Ramirez, co-director of the initiative offering support through an online mutual aid network, said: “Storm Bram follows a period of very elevated rainfall in Wales and parts of England. Some communities we are working with are seeing almost weekly flood alerts. This is placing people previously affected by flooding under huge strain.”
