Storm Henk travel chaos with major roads closed and hundreds of flood warnings in place
Train services have been disrupted across the south of the country and dozens of flood warnings are still in place.
Wednesday 3 January 2024 10:41, UK
Commuters are being warned to expect major travel disruption today as the clean-up begins in the wake of Storm Henk.
Several major roads have been closed, some train lines have been blocked, as many as 10,000 homes have been left without power, and there are hundreds of flood warnings in place across England, Scotland and Wales.
It comes after Henk - the eighth of the 2023-24 storm season - brought lashing winds of up to 94mph and heavy rain to some parts of the country on Tuesday.
The Environment Agency has 333 flood warnings in place across England - including one severe warning for the River Nene near the east of Northampton.
Hundreds of people have already been evacuated from a nearby holiday park, with the Environment Agency warning of a "danger to life" in the area due to "deep and fast flowing water and a rapid onset of flooding".
There are a further 361 flood alerts across England. In Wales, there are eight flood warnings, including a severe warning for the River Ritec at Tenby, with a further 38 flood alerts, while in Scotland there is one flood warning and two flood alerts.
On the roads, part of the northbound A1 near Lincolnshire is closed this morning, between the A52 Grantham and the B6326 near Newark due to standing water.
The A52 in Nottinghamshire has also been partially closed between the roundabout for the A60 and the A606 Edwalton, again due to standing water.
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"This morning one lane of the eastbound carriageway has opened, while the westbound remains closed," a spokesperson for National Highways said.
"However, water is flowing on to the road from saturated adjacent fields and with more rain predicted it is not likely to open any time soon."
The A21 in East Sussex is also closed between the A2100 near Johns Cross and the A28 near Baldslow because of flooding and a fallen tree which is resting on power cables above the carriageway.
Meanwhile, train operators across southern regions of England and Wales have warned journeys on Wednesday morning could be delayed by up to 90 minutes or cancelled as they recover from the strong winds.
Network Rail Wessex - covering the counties of Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire - say its teams have been working "non-stop" to remove trees and debris from lines in the area.
"Most lines are clear and open, but check before you travel to make sure your journey isn't impacted today," it said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, with a picture of a fallen tree blocking one line and one near to another.
South Western Rail said they were "deeply sorry" for Tuesday's delays but added they expect train disruption to continue due to "trains and crews being displaced", urging commuters to check before they travel.
Gusts of 94mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight on Tuesday and fallen trees blocked a rail line in Hastings - causing major delays.
Exeter Airport was hit with gusts of 81mph, while winds reached 71mph at the Isle of Portland in Dorset and Mumbles Head in South Wales.
The Energy Networks Association - which collates data from all energy providers - estimated that 10,000 customers were without power on Wednesday morning.
Footage showed planes struggling to land at Heathrow on Tuesday, with one BA jet taking off again as it reached the runway during a landing.
While strong winds forced Dartford Crossing southbound to close for around four hours, causing severe delays in the region.
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Flooding across the country
In Warwickshire, fire crews were called to Kenilworth Ford to rescue a driver who got stuck trying to manoeuvre through the flood water.
A spokesman for the service said: "Due to the speed of the flowing water we used our inflatable sled to safely rescue the car's occupants. Please avoid the area and don't try to drive through flood water."
And the River Ouse in York burst its banks due to the rainfall brought in by the storm.
In other developments:
• Police say a "hero" entered flood water in Hall Green, Birmingham, to rescue a trapped driver and three-year-old child
• A woman was hit by a tree in Orpington, southeast London, and taken to hospital with injuries not thought to be life-threatening
• An Apache helicopter on an army airfield in Middle Wallop, Hampshire, was toppled in high winds
An amber warning for wind - issued by the Met Office - expired at 8pm on Tuesday evening.
Forecasters had warned of flying debris and a danger to life from large waves in coastal areas.
Motorists were urged to drive slowly, and homeowners were told to secure garden furniture and other loose objects.
An estimated 38,000 people were left without electricity as a direct result of the storm on Tuesday evening, according to Energy Networks Association (ENA) which represents all energy providers across the UK.
ENA spokesman Ross Easton said technicians had already reconnected more than 100,000 customers after the storm damaged power lines.