Storm Arwen battered the UK with 80 mph winds and torrential rain, destroying a section of Brighton’s West Pier, leading to school closures, power outages, and flight cancellations.
Footage showed a portion of this historic landmark which opened in 1866 and once attracted two million visitors annually collapsing into the sea after being struck by massive waves.
The pier, which closed to the public in 1975, has since fallen into a state of severe disrepair; yet, for many, it remains an iconic symbol of this East Sussex city. A large part of its structure had already collapsed during storms in 2002, and the following year, two fires reduced much of what remained to ashes.
Stephen Royal, who lives nearby, told the BBC: “I was stunned by the amount of debris from the pier that fell into the sea. The incoming waves were enormous. It’s truly sad.”
Kate Phillips of the West Pier Trust told The Argus: “It would be a disaster if it were lost. Our goal is to preserve its heritage this is Brighton, after all. I still believe the central section will remain standing; I have faith in this Victorian construction. It’s painful to see it in this state.”
The Met Office has warned that high waves could pose a danger to life, with the potential for sea debris to be cast onto coastal roads, the seafront, and properties. Travelers faced significant difficulties as drivers in some areas were advised to avoid non-essential travel following road closures caused by flooding and fallen trees.
The storm hit the South West the hardest, leaving over 16,000 homes without power; Cornwall was severely affected, particularly the area around Penzance.
In Cornwall, some schools remained closed for the day or opened late for safety reasons, while the government of Jersey ordered the closure of all schools and colleges on the island.
The highest wind speeds recorded this morning reached 76 mph in the Isles of Scilly, 76 mph in Guernsey, 72 mph in Jersey, and 71 mph at Culdrose in Cornwall.
In Devon and Cornwall, motorists were advised to travel only if absolutely necessary, following reports of overturned vans, fallen trees, downed power lines, and debris scattered across roads.
South Western Railway, Southern, Thameslink, Great Western Railway, Northern Rail, CrossCountry, and Gatwick Express all issued warnings regarding train disruptions due to the storm.
According to FlightRadar24, 19 flights at Heathrow, 17 at Gatwick, 13 at Southampton, and four at Exeter were cancelled today. At Jersey Airport, all 25 morning flights were grounded due to a ‘red warning.’ ‘Arwen’ is the first named storm of the season and will move eastward into the North Sea tonight; meanwhile, another low-pressure system Storm ‘Babet’ is set to arrive tomorrow.
Andy Burnham was asked whether the government had lagged behind in its preparations for the public, while he was attending a summit focused on learning lessons from the record-breaking wildfires of the summer.
The Prime Minister told reporters: “No; we are talking about better preparing the public, because we live in a world where unexpected events are becoming increasingly common.”
“Clearly, weather-related events and today we find the UK facing storms; we are certainly mindful of those in Cornwall who have lost power are a matter of ensuring you have enough supplies at home to get you through such moments.”
“We are talking about building this resilience. That is why we are holding this summit today, and why we are issuing guidance to the public. We may be facing a winter with a higher risk of flooding, so we must recognize all these threats and take action.”
This follows a government campaign launched yesterday, which urged people to stock up on food and essential supplies in preparation for potential multi-day emergencies.
Experts tracking Storms Ophelia and Brian across the Atlantic have confirmed that both low-pressure systems are intensifying rapidly a phenomenon known as a “weather bomb.”
A “weather bomb” is officially declared when the atmospheric pressure at the center of a low-pressure system drops by at least 24 millibars within a 24-hour period.
Marco Petagna, a senior operational meteorologist at the Met Office, stated that the pressure of the first system (Ophelia) dropped by 24 millibars in just 18 hours from 1004 to 980 millibars thereby meeting the criteria. The second system (Brian) is expected to drop from 999 to 948 millibars over 24 hours a decline of 51 millibars.
The Met Office noted that the deep low-pressure system (Brian) will gain further strength from an “active jet stream” as it crosses the Atlantic, before reaching Northern Ireland.
The first system (Ophelia) could bring gusts of up to 80 mph to parts of the South West, with wind speeds of 60 to 70 mph generally expected across the region.
The department has issued an amber weather warning for wind, covering Cornwall, Devon, and the Isles of Scilly; the warning will be in effect from 1:00 AM until 10:00 AM.
Along with strong winds, there will be periods of heavy rain, though the gusts are expected to gradually subside as the day progresses. The department stated that Storm Arwen could bring “some disruption and potentially damaging winds,” and issued a warning regarding potential obstacles on roads and within the public transport network.
Flying debris is “expected,” and the storm will “likely” cause some damage to buildings such as tiles being blown off roofs it added.
Mobile phone coverage and power supplies could also be affected.
Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “This is the first storm of the season for the south of the UK, and we expect some disruption as it passes through.”
“With trees still in leaf, fallen branches and trunks could block roads and railways, so please exercise extra caution during your Friday morning commute.”
Over the weekend, Storm Arwen will affect Northern Ireland, Scotland, and parts of northern England, bringing what the department has described as “impactful winds.”
A yellow warning has been issued effective from 6:00 PM tomorrow until 9:00 PM on Sunday covering mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney, and the far north of England.
Wind gusts will generally range from 55 to 65 mph, potentially reaching 70 to 80 mph in more exposed coastal locations.
Network Rail Scotland has announced that trains will run at reduced speeds today and over the weekend in areas experiencing heavy rain, in order to ensure passenger safety.
It has also announced some railway closures during Storm Arwen, which will begin on Saturday night. From 9:00 PM on Saturday, services south and west of Crianlarich will be suspended, followed by the Oban and Mallaig lines from 10:00 PM.
On Sunday, the line between Kyle of Lochalsh and Achnashellach will be closed, and there will be no service between Wick and Helmsdale.
Craig Gorman, Head of Operational Weather Strategy, acknowledged that this move would have a ‘significant impact’ on passengers, but stated that he would closely monitor the severe weather and take action accordingly.
He said: “We know that closing lines and slowing down trains will have a major impact on people’s plans this weekend, and we do not take these decisions lightly.
“However, when faced with weather of this magnitude, we must prioritize safety and make sensible decisions before conditions deteriorate.
“A great deal of work goes on behind the scenes to understand how weather might affect different parts of the railway network.
“We will keep a close watch on conditions as Storm Babet moves across Scotland and will adapt our response where necessary, while doing everything we can to keep people moving.”
Early this morning, Southern Rail announced that trains were unable to stop at Normans Bay station after it was struck by lightning.
Meanwhile, National Rail stated that, due to a weather warning, fewer trains will call at Ryde Pier Head until 6:00 PM today.
The operator also noted that several services across the north of England will be altered throughout the day, and advised passengers to plan their journeys in advance.
Some services between Leeds and York via Harrogate will not stop at Weeton or Headingley, while trains running between York and Blackpool North will skip New Pudsey.
A separate ‘yellow’ weather warning is in place for Northern Ireland from 6:00 PM tomorrow until 3:00 PM on Sunday, with wind speeds expected to reach 50–60 mph and up to 65–75 mph in exposed areas.
A yellow weather warning for wind has also been issued for large parts of South West England and Wales, effective from 10:00 PM last night until 5:00 PM today, with gusts forecast to reach 45–55 mph.
Another yellow warning is in effect from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM today for parts of North West England and North Wales.
Heavy rain is expected today as Storm Arwen moves eastward throughout the day.
The impact will be most significant across southern and eastern Scotland, where a yellow weather warning has been issued from 7:00 AM today until midnight. During this period, 20 to 40 millimeters of rainfall is expected within the warning area, with 60 to 80 millimeters possible in some locations.
This could lead to flooding in certain areas and cause disruptions to travel.
The warning area encompasses a large part of Scotland, stretching from the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway in the south to Fraserburgh in the north.
Parts of the west including the entirety of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Glasgow are affected, and much of the east will also be impacted by the rainfall.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 11 flood alerts for the same areas covered by the Met Office’s yellow warning.
In England, two flood warnings indicating that flooding is expected were in effect: one at Chiswell on the Dorset coast, and another along the South Devon coast at Beesands, Torcross, Slapton, and Dawlish.
Additionally, 11 flood alerts indicating that flooding is possible were in place across England.
The Met Office advised people to stay away from cliff edges and well back from stormy seas that ‘could sweep you off your feet’.
Homeowners were asked to take steps to protect their property from damage and injury to others, such as checking for exposed items and planning to secure them in high winds.
These items include trash cans, pots, garden furniture, trampolines and sheds.
Gareth Smith, Head of Resilience at the British Red Cross, has urged people to take steps to keep themselves, their families and homes safe.
She said: ‘We have practical advice that can make a real difference – from asking for the well-being of the most vulnerable, to securing outdoor items in the garden, checking windows and doors, and making evacuation plans for your household, including pets.
‘We also ask people to keep an eye on local weather reports and advice from local authorities.’
RNLI water safety manager Ross McLeod has told people not to take ‘unnecessary risks’ when visiting the beach.
He said: ‘If you plan to go near the beach or water, we urge you to stay a safe distance from the water as conditions could sweep you off your feet or wash you out to sea.’
In Ireland, an orange rain warning came into effect for Cork, Kerry and Waterford last night as Storm Austin approached. That alert ended at 5 a.m.
Similar warnings were issued for Dublin, Wexford and Wicklow from 2am to 8am today. A yellow rain and wind warning remains in place for Munster and Leinster until 10am today.
Met Eireann warned of travel difficulties and possible flooding.
The forecast comes a week after a severe drought was declared in parts of England, amid concerns over dwindling water reserves due to extremely dry conditions.
The southeast and southwest experienced the driest season in more than a century from April to September – affecting reservoirs in these areas, according to officials.
As a result, parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have been declared ‘severe droughts’ – in which water shortages affect daily life and the environment in a big way, and can have far-reaching effects.
But supercharged El Niño conditions in the Pacific, which affect weather around the world, will put the UK at greater risk of a wetter stormy autumn overall, experts say.
The Met Office’s storm year runs from September to August, with each 12-month period having its own alphabetical list used to label successive storms.
This year’s list starts with Austin and continues with Boileau, Chloe, Dino and Evelyn, ending on W at Wende.
Naming storms is a partnership between the Met Office, Ireland’s Met Irons and the Dutch service NMI.
Met Eireann chose to name the first storm in honor of Austin Neagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service.
KNMI chose the names from more than 3,000 suggestions submitted by the public, including Buelo – the nearly extinct name of the East Groningen region that has been in the proposer’s family for generations.
Greenpeace climate campaigner Maja Darlington has called on the government to take action to stop the ‘devastating cycle of extreme weather’, following a summer of bushfires and drought.
He said: ‘We’ve barely got out of a scorching summer, and now the first storms of winter are knocking on the door.
‘While millions of people fear their homes and businesses will be destroyed, major oil companies are preparing to announce multi-billion pound profits next week.
“Government must stand against this destructive climate and cycle of corporate fearlessness.”
