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| Storm Frank batters large parts of UK as weather misery deepens | Storm Frank batters large parts of UK as weather misery deepens |
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| Large parts of the UK were battered by Storm Frank on Wednesday, with hundreds of homes evacuated and thousands of people left without power, as high winds and heavy rain brought yet more weather misery. | Large parts of the UK were battered by Storm Frank on Wednesday, with hundreds of homes evacuated and thousands of people left without power, as high winds and heavy rain brought yet more weather misery. |
| In Scotland, there were two severe weather warnings – signalling danger to life – for Whitesands in Dumfries and The Tweed in Peebles, and one severe weather warning in England, in Croston, Lancashire, which has already been hit by the recent floods. | In Scotland, there were two severe weather warnings – signalling danger to life – for Whitesands in Dumfries and The Tweed in Peebles, and one severe weather warning in England, in Croston, Lancashire, which has already been hit by the recent floods. |
| Ten passengers had to be airlifted to safety when their bus – carrying 12 – became stranded in rising flood waters in the village of Dailly, Ayrshire. They were taken to Girvan hospital. | Ten passengers had to be airlifted to safety when their bus – carrying 12 – became stranded in rising flood waters in the village of Dailly, Ayrshire. They were taken to Girvan hospital. |
| Related: Storm Frank: more floods expected as gales and rain batter Britain and Ireland – live | Related: Storm Frank: more floods expected as gales and rain batter Britain and Ireland – live |
| By early evening there were almost 100 flood warnings in force across Scotland. Some 300 homes were evacuated in Hawick, south-east of Peebles, in the afternoon as a precaution, while hundreds were evacuated from homes in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, throughout the day due to flooding and power outages. | By early evening there were almost 100 flood warnings in force across Scotland. Some 300 homes were evacuated in Hawick, south-east of Peebles, in the afternoon as a precaution, while hundreds were evacuated from homes in Ballater, Aberdeenshire, throughout the day due to flooding and power outages. |
| Although the worst rainfall is thought to have passed, flood responders were playing a waiting game as some rivers will take time to react as water moves down from higher ground towards the sea. | Although the worst rainfall is thought to have passed, flood responders were playing a waiting game as some rivers will take time to react as water moves down from higher ground towards the sea. |
| Vincent Fitzsimons, duty hydrology manager at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “More localised flooding is expected to affect roads and farmland – perhaps isolated properties – across large parts of central and southern Scotland, and into the north-east. The worst of the rainfall has largely passed, but larger rivers will take some time to react as the water moves down towards the sea.” | Vincent Fitzsimons, duty hydrology manager at the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, said: “More localised flooding is expected to affect roads and farmland – perhaps isolated properties – across large parts of central and southern Scotland, and into the north-east. The worst of the rainfall has largely passed, but larger rivers will take some time to react as the water moves down towards the sea.” |
| In some areas, rail and road networks were severely affected, with the A93 in Aberdeenshire closed for 70 miles, while a landslip across the Rest and Be Thankful road in Argyll washed 300 tonnes of debris down the hillside, trapping two cars and causing a 50-mile diversion. Braemar in Aberdeenshire was the wettest place in Scotland after receiving 64mm of rain between midnight and 2pm, while Glasgow was the wettest city with 43mm of rainfall, leading to severe localised flooding. | In some areas, rail and road networks were severely affected, with the A93 in Aberdeenshire closed for 70 miles, while a landslip across the Rest and Be Thankful road in Argyll washed 300 tonnes of debris down the hillside, trapping two cars and causing a 50-mile diversion. Braemar in Aberdeenshire was the wettest place in Scotland after receiving 64mm of rain between midnight and 2pm, while Glasgow was the wettest city with 43mm of rainfall, leading to severe localised flooding. |
| Related: Minister visits Tadcaster as Yorkshire town braces for more flooding | Related: Minister visits Tadcaster as Yorkshire town braces for more flooding |
| The Republic of Ireland was also badly hit, with more than 13,000 homes left without electricity and the Irish Defence Forces deployed in Co Cork, where several major town centres are flooded. In Northern Ireland, up to 500 households have been without power since Tuesday night and up to 40 roads across the region were either flooded or blocked by felled trees. | The Republic of Ireland was also badly hit, with more than 13,000 homes left without electricity and the Irish Defence Forces deployed in Co Cork, where several major town centres are flooded. In Northern Ireland, up to 500 households have been without power since Tuesday night and up to 40 roads across the region were either flooded or blocked by felled trees. |
| The Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol was temporarily closed to vehicles because of the weather for only the second time in its 151-year history. High winds caused by Storm Frank led to 55mph gusts being recorded on the structure which spans the Avon Gorge. | The Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol was temporarily closed to vehicles because of the weather for only the second time in its 151-year history. High winds caused by Storm Frank led to 55mph gusts being recorded on the structure which spans the Avon Gorge. |
| In the English counties of Lancashire and Cumbria, where residents who have already been badly hit by flooding were braced for fresh inundations, people were breathing a sigh of relief as it appeared the sixth winter storm of the season had largely passed them by. | In the English counties of Lancashire and Cumbria, where residents who have already been badly hit by flooding were braced for fresh inundations, people were breathing a sigh of relief as it appeared the sixth winter storm of the season had largely passed them by. |
| Flood warnings were in place for parts of Cumbria on Wednesday, including Keswick in the north Lakes, where environment agency officials were nervously monitoring levels in the river Greta all morning. In nearby Braithwaite, soldiers had sandbagged low-lying areas to prevent repeat floods. High winds knocked out the power supply to at least 2,500 homes, Electricity North-West said. Electricity was restored to more than 2,000 by lunchtime, the firm said. | |
| As the day progressed, Cumbria police warned that surface water and trees felled by strong winds of up to 70mph posed the biggest danger to motorists in the county. “There hasn’t been as much rainfall as predicted yet the winds are strong and can be dangerous, so I would urge all motorists to be careful on the roads,” said Supt Mark Pannone, of Cumbria Constabulary. | As the day progressed, Cumbria police warned that surface water and trees felled by strong winds of up to 70mph posed the biggest danger to motorists in the county. “There hasn’t been as much rainfall as predicted yet the winds are strong and can be dangerous, so I would urge all motorists to be careful on the roads,” said Supt Mark Pannone, of Cumbria Constabulary. |
| Related: Leading authors join drive to help flood-hit Yorkshire bookshop | Related: Leading authors join drive to help flood-hit Yorkshire bookshop |
| At noon two rescuers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, one from Dover in the south-east and the other Redcar in the north-east, said they were being redeployed to southern Scotland. | At noon two rescuers from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, one from Dover in the south-east and the other Redcar in the north-east, said they were being redeployed to southern Scotland. |
| Before the storm passed, volunteers had just finished repainting the clubhouse at Keswick rugby club, ready for the annual New Year’s Day match against Penrith. “I don’t think there will be any rugby played this year,” said Iain Macpherson, the house and grounds manager, as he watched the pitch turn into a lake in the space of an hour on Wednesday morning. | Before the storm passed, volunteers had just finished repainting the clubhouse at Keswick rugby club, ready for the annual New Year’s Day match against Penrith. “I don’t think there will be any rugby played this year,” said Iain Macpherson, the house and grounds manager, as he watched the pitch turn into a lake in the space of an hour on Wednesday morning. |
| Earlier in the month the club was inundated with more than a metre of water, which destroyed the floors, the electrics, the kitchen and kit including 300 rugby shirts. Mould now covers the ceiling of the two squash courts, the dumb bells in the gym are rusty after their mucky submersion. Volunteers have spent the past three weeks shifting at least 1,100 tonnes of silt from the pitch, deposited by the river Greta when it breached its banks and rose above the expensively installed flood defences. | |
| On Wednesday fitters from the Jenning brewery were in putting the finishing touches to the new bar as water from the pitch rose and lapped dangerously close to the clubhouse. “The New Year’s Day match is a big money spinner for us, so we need the event to go ahead,” said Macpherson. The show would go on, he vowed: “Even if people are standing drinking pints in one, two feet of water, they’ll be here,” he said. “As long as our mouths are above water, there will be drinking,” promised Richard Atkinson, a committee member, suggesting the club switch from rugby to rowing. | On Wednesday fitters from the Jenning brewery were in putting the finishing touches to the new bar as water from the pitch rose and lapped dangerously close to the clubhouse. “The New Year’s Day match is a big money spinner for us, so we need the event to go ahead,” said Macpherson. The show would go on, he vowed: “Even if people are standing drinking pints in one, two feet of water, they’ll be here,” he said. “As long as our mouths are above water, there will be drinking,” promised Richard Atkinson, a committee member, suggesting the club switch from rugby to rowing. |
| Police in York said there had been four burglaries and one attempted break-in at flood-affected homes in the Huntington Road area. North Yorkshire police said there were a further seven break-ins reported at chalets and caravans at a site in the city. All incidents were currently under investigation. | Police in York said there had been four burglaries and one attempted break-in at flood-affected homes in the Huntington Road area. North Yorkshire police said there were a further seven break-ins reported at chalets and caravans at a site in the city. All incidents were currently under investigation. |
| Elsewhere in Yorkshire, in Tadcaster, where a historic bridge linking two halves of the town fell into the river Wharfe on Tuesday night, Liz Truss, the environment secretary, visited flooding victims, saying that repairing the town’s stricken bridge was a “national priority”. | Elsewhere in Yorkshire, in Tadcaster, where a historic bridge linking two halves of the town fell into the river Wharfe on Tuesday night, Liz Truss, the environment secretary, visited flooding victims, saying that repairing the town’s stricken bridge was a “national priority”. |
| But some locals, who have spent much of the last week clearing up their town, said the authorities had turned up too late and accused them of glory seeking. “They have turned up belatedly. We would have thought they would have had a sense of urgency,” said Tadcaster resident Mary Scott, who handed out tea and biscuits to the soldiers and other workers. “They turn up and take the glory. It is too little, too late … they should have shown up days ago.” | But some locals, who have spent much of the last week clearing up their town, said the authorities had turned up too late and accused them of glory seeking. “They have turned up belatedly. We would have thought they would have had a sense of urgency,” said Tadcaster resident Mary Scott, who handed out tea and biscuits to the soldiers and other workers. “They turn up and take the glory. It is too little, too late … they should have shown up days ago.” |
| • This article was amended on 4 January 2016 to correct a misspelling of the river Greta. |