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| Storms return to batter UK as thousands without power | Storms return to batter UK as thousands without power |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Gales and rain have returned to the UK, causing further disruption to transport and the power network. | Gales and rain have returned to the UK, causing further disruption to transport and the power network. |
| Around 19,500 UK homes remain without power - about 7,000 of them in north-west England, the Energy Networks Association said. | Around 19,500 UK homes remain without power - about 7,000 of them in north-west England, the Energy Networks Association said. |
| Met Office amber wind warnings are due to expire at 18:00 GMT as winds subside, but less severe yellow warnings will remain until 23:55 GMT. | |
| More than 50 flood warnings remain in place in England, Wales and Scotland. | |
| Rail services have been disrupted, while road closures have been reported around the UK because of uprooted trees. | Rail services have been disrupted, while road closures have been reported around the UK because of uprooted trees. |
| The Met Office's amber warnings for wind cover much of northern England and parts of north Wales, while the yellow warnings which expire later are for a wider area including west Wales, Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and the Midlands. | |
| Northern Ireland and parts of southern Scotland are also subject to yellow warnings of rain until 23:55 GMT. | Northern Ireland and parts of southern Scotland are also subject to yellow warnings of rain until 23:55 GMT. |
| A 109mph gust of wind was recorded at Aberdaron on the Llŷn Peninsula in north Wales on Thursday night. | |
| A gust of 102mph was recorded at the same location on Friday morning, while gusts faster than 80mph were recorded at several other places in Wales and St Bees Head in Cumbria. | A gust of 102mph was recorded at the same location on Friday morning, while gusts faster than 80mph were recorded at several other places in Wales and St Bees Head in Cumbria. |
| BBC Weather presenter Tomasz Schafernaker said current gusts on Irish Sea coastal areas were 60-70mph, while gusts of 50-60mph were being measured inland in northern England and southern Scotland. | |
| "Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, often hit by gales, has been calm today with 10mph winds. It's been in the 'eye' of the UK storm," he added. | |
| 'Do better' | 'Do better' |
| Prime Minister David Cameron has visited the village of Yalding in Kent, which experienced severe flooding on Christmas Eve, and was confronted by resident Ericka Olivares who said her local council had done nothing to help villagers. | Prime Minister David Cameron has visited the village of Yalding in Kent, which experienced severe flooding on Christmas Eve, and was confronted by resident Ericka Olivares who said her local council had done nothing to help villagers. |
| She said: "We still have no electric. We need electric. As I say, the council, from Monday, we have been trying to contact them, but they have all decided to go on their holidays. Nothing." | She said: "We still have no electric. We need electric. As I say, the council, from Monday, we have been trying to contact them, but they have all decided to go on their holidays. Nothing." |
| Mr Cameron said the severity of flooding in the area made it difficult to ensure homes were protected. | Mr Cameron said the severity of flooding in the area made it difficult to ensure homes were protected. |
| "Sometimes these are very, very tragic events. It is impossible to protect everybody against everything but we have got to do more and we have got to do better." | "Sometimes these are very, very tragic events. It is impossible to protect everybody against everything but we have got to do more and we have got to do better." |
| Earlier he had tweeted: "An enormous thank you to the @EnvAgency and emergency services who are doing an amazing job with the floods and extreme weather." | Earlier he had tweeted: "An enormous thank you to the @EnvAgency and emergency services who are doing an amazing job with the floods and extreme weather." |
| Following the meeting he tweeted that the village's residents had "shown real spirit". | Following the meeting he tweeted that the village's residents had "shown real spirit". |
| 'A challenge' | 'A challenge' |
| Speaking at 16:00 GMT, Tony Glover from the Energy Networks Association said 10,000 homes in England and Wales were still without power. | Speaking at 16:00 GMT, Tony Glover from the Energy Networks Association said 10,000 homes in England and Wales were still without power. |
| Scottish Power and SSE said about 4,500 homes in Scotland were without power, while Northern Ireland Electricity said the figure was about 5,000 there. | Scottish Power and SSE said about 4,500 homes in Scotland were without power, while Northern Ireland Electricity said the figure was about 5,000 there. |
| Mr Glover said the experiences of people without power were "horrendous" but the companies were working "incredibly hard, around the clock" to get them reconnected. | Mr Glover said the experiences of people without power were "horrendous" but the companies were working "incredibly hard, around the clock" to get them reconnected. |
| "The flooding is a major issue for us and getting a cherry picker out into a a flooded area is one hell of a challenge with the fact that the weather itself continues, there is debris and roads are blocked," he said. | "The flooding is a major issue for us and getting a cherry picker out into a a flooded area is one hell of a challenge with the fact that the weather itself continues, there is debris and roads are blocked," he said. |
| One of the thousands without power is Sharon Beresford from Bournemouth, who has been staying in a hotel with her family after their power line was damaged by a tree on Monday night. | One of the thousands without power is Sharon Beresford from Bournemouth, who has been staying in a hotel with her family after their power line was damaged by a tree on Monday night. |
| "It's been a little bit difficult, not quite what we planned," she said. | "It's been a little bit difficult, not quite what we planned," she said. |
| "The hardest thing has been no information from the power companies - we keep ringing, just keep getting automated messages, we hold on for 40 to 50 minutes sometimes with no joy." | "The hardest thing has been no information from the power companies - we keep ringing, just keep getting automated messages, we hold on for 40 to 50 minutes sometimes with no joy." |
| The Environment Agency said rainfall on Thursday night was less than expected, with about 10mm in the South East. It has had reports of about 1,200 properties flooding so far. | The Environment Agency said rainfall on Thursday night was less than expected, with about 10mm in the South East. It has had reports of about 1,200 properties flooding so far. |
| Pete Fox from the Environment Agency said river levels remain high through Somerset, Dorset, Sussex, Surrey and Kent, particularly the River Medway and the Kentish Stour around Ashford. | Pete Fox from the Environment Agency said river levels remain high through Somerset, Dorset, Sussex, Surrey and Kent, particularly the River Medway and the Kentish Stour around Ashford. |
| "Those river levels are going to remain high, last night's weather will not have helped that. We remain particularly focussed on the Kent Stour and lower reaches of the Thames," he said. | "Those river levels are going to remain high, last night's weather will not have helped that. We remain particularly focussed on the Kent Stour and lower reaches of the Thames," he said. |
| "Our defences are behaving very well. We've got teams out on the ground assessing the impacts that this weather event has had on them - but we are remaining vigilant, we are clearing grids, we are operating barriers and flood storage areas in order to minimise the risk to flooding in those particularly prone areas." | "Our defences are behaving very well. We've got teams out on the ground assessing the impacts that this weather event has had on them - but we are remaining vigilant, we are clearing grids, we are operating barriers and flood storage areas in order to minimise the risk to flooding in those particularly prone areas." |
| Strong winds caused an electricity pylon to crash into two homes in County Down on Thursday night. | Strong winds caused an electricity pylon to crash into two homes in County Down on Thursday night. |
| Meanwhile: | Meanwhile: |
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