Storm Ciaran: Record-breaking storm batters Channel Islands with 104mph gusts - as southern England hit by flooding
The powerful storm swept in from the Atlantic over northwest France, the Channel Islands and southern England overnight, bringing with it strong winds and lashing rain.
Thursday 2 November 2023 17:18, UK
Record-breaking Storm Ciaran has battered the UK, the Channel Islands, and parts of northern Europe, leaving behind a trail of death, destruction and transport delays.
The Channel Islands and Northern France bore the brunt of the storm, with 104mph winds recorded in Jersey.
The Channel Islands also saw rare hurricane-strength winds - at Force 12, the highest measure on the Beaufort scale - while gusts of up to 119mph (193km/h) were recorded in parts of coastal Brittany.
In the UK, the south of England saw the worst of Storm Ciaran, with winds of up to 85mph battering coastal areas of Kent, and flooding across parts of Hampshire, Sussex, Devon, and Cornwall.
And the storm is still yet to cause disruption to parts of northeast England, as it barrels up the east coast towards Scotland.
The Environment Agency said at 3pm there were 83 flood warnings and 201 flood alerts in place across England.
Read more on this story:
Where else will Ciaran cause bad weather? A list of warnings
Transport affected as storm approaches - live updates
In the main developments:
• 10,000 homes were left without power in Cornwall
• Train services were affected by downed trees and a trampoline blown on to lines
• Several bridges along major routes were closed
• Ferries and flights between the UK, Channel Islands and other destinations were cancelled
• Widespread damage was caused to homes in a Jersey village
While there have been no deaths recorded in the UK, a truck driver died in France's Aisne region, northeast of Paris, when a tree fell on his vehicle.
At least 16 people, including seven firefighters, were also injured in the storm, according to French media. A man was also killed in the Netherlands after a tree fell on him amid the storm.
Check the weather forecast in your area
Hundreds of schools closed
However, there was major disruption to the UK's travel network throughout Thursday, with ferries cancelled, roads flooded, and bridges closed over concerns about high winds.
Hundreds of schools closed in Hampshire, Southampton, the Isle of Wight and across Devon and Cornwall due to the storm on Thursday, while all schools have closed on the island of Jersey.
Record for low pressure
The Met Office said on Thursday that Storm Ciaran had set a new record for the lowest mean sea level pressure recorded in England and Wales in November.
Sky News's weather producer, Joanna Robinson, said: "That low pressure meant the boiling point of water was down a degree or so, and you may have noticed that your kettle boiled a little quicker."
On the storm, she said: "The strongest winds were on its southern flank, mainly affecting the English Channel, the Channel Islands and northwest France, where there has been significant damage and disruption.
"Local agencies say gusts up to around 124mph have been reported in northwest France, 104mph in Jersey and 78mph at Langdon Bay in England.
"Earlier in the week, some computer models had Storm Ciaran tracking further north by around 100 miles.
"If that had happened, it would have taken the damaging winds across more of southern England, which was fortunately spared the worst on this occasion.
"That said, Ciaran has brought plenty of rain to ground already saturated after a very wet October."
Damage to houses
Forecasters had warned of the impact of Storm Ciaran before its arrival, with a red weather warning put in place by the Jersey Met Office and amber warnings in southwest and southern England.
When the storm did hit, dozens of people were forced to take refuge in a Jersey hotel after their homes were damaged by winds of over 100mph.
Three people were taken to hospital and video footage showed widespread damage to roofs and other parts of buildings in St Clement, near St Helier.
People rescued from cars
In the UK, a major incident was declared for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Firefighters in the area rescued several people from cars stuck in flood water.
The AA said its mechanics rang paramedics to help a driver suspected of suffering from hypothermia after their car became stuck in flood water on a rural road in the Newbury area.
In Cornwall, a powerline came down in Chacewater and the county council said more than 10,000 homes were left without power due to the storm.
The River Clyde burst its banks near Exeter, flooding nearby fields.
Read more:
'Sting jet' could bring winds like 1987 storm
Why Storm Ciaran will be so bad
Trampoline stops trains
A number of train services were delayed due to fallen trees, while, as seems almost customary in UK storms, a trampoline had to be removed from train tracks after blowing from a nearby garden.
Southern Railway urged people to work from home due to the possibility of major delays.
Among the bridges closed were the M48 Severn Bridge, the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge near Dartford, The Sheppey and Medway crossings in Kent, the bridge over the River Hamble on the M27 and Southampton's Itchen bridge.
Two buses were damaged by flying debris in Capel-le-Ferne, Kent, causing disruption to services in the area.
Condor Ferries cancelled its freight and passenger routes between the Channel Islands and the UK on Wednesday and Thursday, while DFDS and P&O Ferries also suspended their services due to the high winds.
Yellow warnings remain in place
Jersey Airport, the main transport hub to the Channel Islands, was closed on Thursday, while in Europe, Dutch airline KLM scrapped all flights until the end of Thursday due to high winds in the Netherlands.
Overlapping Met Office yellow warnings for wind and rain, which cover the entire south of England, and parts of the Midlands and Wales, remain in place for both areas until midnight.
A separate yellow warning for rain is in place for the North East region of England and eastern Scotland until 6am on Friday.
There is also a yellow warning for rain for Saturday covering coastal areas of South East England, stretching from Hampshire, across East and West Sussex, and into Kent, with rain forecast in numerous locations, potentially putting some bonfire night events at risk.
Read more on Sky News:
Why Storm Babet brought so much rain
Glastonbury delays ticket sales
Is Storm Ciaran affecting an area near you?
If you want to send photos or videos, you can email them to: news@AG百家乐在线官网news.com
If you want to send us pictures and video from your mobile phone use 'Your Report' on the Sky News app.
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Or send us a message on
By sending us your video footage/photographs/audio you agree we can broadcast, publish and edit the material and pass it on to others for similar use in any media worldwide, without any payment being due to you. Please do not submit your contribution unless you accept this.