- UK Storm Ciarán Aftermath
- Flooding, Power Loss
- Europe Impact, Climate Change
In the United Kingdom, around forty flood warnings remain in effect due to the aftermath of Storm Ciarán.
After severe weather caused extensive flooding and damage, electricity was cut to nearly 150,000 households.
Jersey documented hurricane-force swells exceeding 100 mph (161 km/h).
Residual Weather and Ongoing Warnings
Although the most severe weather has passed, certain regions of the country are expected to experience rain and “violent” gusts over the weekend; Wales, in particular, is still issued a “risk to life” warning.
Until 17:00 GMT on Friday, a yellow rain warning remains in effect for northeastern Scotland.
On Saturday from 05:00 until the end of the day, a separate advisory for the entire south coast of England will be in effect, indicating the possibility of 30-40mm of precipitation in coastal regions.
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At least thirteen people have died in mainland Europe from the storm, but none in the UK.
A severe flood advisory for the Kiln Park caravan site in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales, predicts “considerable disruption to the community and substantial risk to human life.”
Despite the fact that the site has been evacuated, there are concerns that the subsequent high tide on Friday shortly after 21:30 could surpass the current level of the River Ritec, thereby causing further disruptions.
In Wales, two distinct flood alerts have been issued, each indicating the potential for inundation. Scotland has also issued two more flood alerts.
There are 3,742 flood warnings in effect in England, indicating that flooding is anticipated. The majority of these warnings are in the southern region of the country. An additional 178 flood advisories extend northwards, reaching near Scarborough.
By Friday afternoon, Ciarán had departed the United Kingdom.
Helen Willetts reported that the storm’s remnants in the North Sea are now considerably weakened.
She said that the prediction is for heavy, windy downpours with sunny, dry times in between.
Ms. Willetts further stated, “However, there will be persistent and at times heavy rainfall in eastern and northeastern Scotland.” As the south wind increases, England, Wales, and maybe eastern Northern Ireland will get further rain overnight and tomorrow.
Once more, it is the precipitation that is anticipated to result in further disruptions and flooding, given that portions of the ground are already saturated from the record-breaking rainfall that has already occurred in October.
On Friday, schools in Jersey, which experienced some of the most severe weather of the day on Thursday, remained closed for a second day; they plan to reopen on Monday.
On Friday, educational institutions resumed operations on the adjacent islands of Guernsey and Alderney, excluding the College of Further Education.
The New Jersey airport was expected to close to commercial planes until early Friday afternoon due to storm damage.
Large hailstones “bigger than golf balls” struck the island overnight on Wednesday, evacuating dozens of residents to hotels.
As characterised by the Met Office, “supercell thunderstorms” battered the Channel Islands.
European Impact and Climate Change
Additionally, hurricane-force winds were felt locally, Jersey Met confirmed. A cyclone “briefly” impacted the eastern regions of the island, according to meteorologist Matt Winter.
A segment from St Clement, New Jersey, captured Jessica O’Reilly and her infant dozing in bed when she was abruptly awoken by the sound of a “weather bomb” just seconds before the window was blown inwards.
The following statement revealed her “motherly instinct”: “As we went to bed, we heard the wind getting stronger.
“When the windows shattered, something seemed amiss; I hurriedly retrieved my daughter and exited the room.”
“I think I just thought ‘my baby’s in danger, I need to get out’ and ran down the stairs.”
In other regions of the British Isles, residential roofs were toppled, certain railway systems came to a complete halt, and lengthy lines formed around the Port of Dover, which had previously closed due to turbulent waters.
Roughly 146,000 households were left without electricity, the majority of which were located in the south of England. By 08:00 on Friday, approximately 600 properties still lacked power.
A representative from the Energy Networks Association (ENA) stated, “Teams from across the nation are collaborating to reconnect customers where it is safe to do so despite the continued presence of challenging conditions, including violent winds that are predicted to persist until the evening.”
LNER, the primary train operator on the East Coast Main Line connecting London King’s Cross and Edinburgh Waverley, has issued a travel advisory discouraging passengers from undertaking journeys until Saturday, in light of the substantial volume of anticipated delays and cancellations that continue to impact certain rail services.
Normal service has resumed in other regions, despite the fact that several other train operators, notably in Devon and Cornwall, issued disruption advisories on Friday as detritus from Storm Ciarán was removed from the tracks.
Meanwhile, massive waves demolished part of Dorset’s West Bay cliff.
Floodwaters in Leatherhead, Surrey, have changed the outcome of a Saturday afternoon home game for a local football team.
Additionally, Western Europe has been severely impacted, as the storm has been attributed to a minimum of thirteen fatalities. France, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Croatia, and Slovenia were all affected. While a falling branch in the Belgian city of Ghent claimed the life of a five-year-old child.
The terrible weather in Tuscany killed six people, left dozens missing, and flooded multiple hospitals.
A warming atmosphere, according to experts, increases the likelihood of intense precipitation and cyclones.
However, extreme weather is influenced by numerous factors, and it is a lengthy process for scientists to determine the extent, if any, that climate change has contributed to specific occurrences.
Since the beginning of the industrial era, the world has warmed by approximately 1.1C, and this trend will continue unless governments worldwide implement significant reductions in emissions.
