Storm Isha batters Britain, cutting power and diverting flights
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LONDON - Tens of thousands of people across Britain and Ireland were without power on Jan 22 after Storm Isha lashed the countries with strong winds and heavy rain, leaving two people dead.
Gusts of 159kmh were recorded in northeast England as the whole of Britain was subject to weather warnings for its ninth named storm since September.
The high winds felled three trees and damaged several others at a site in Northern Ireland made famous by the hit fantasy TV series “Game of Thrones”.
“This is another blow to the Dark Hedges,” said Mr Mervyn Storey, chairman of the preservation trust at the County Antrim site, now a major tourist destination thanks to the HBO drama.
Isha follows Storm Henk, which crashed into Britain earlier this month, causing widespread flooding and disruption to train services and roads.
More strong winds and heavy rain are forecast from Jan 23-24 as the next storm of the season, Jocelyn, barrels in.
Climatologists say climate change is causing winters in the region to be warmer and wetter, increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events.
Departure boards at Manchester Airport show many flights cancelled or delayed due to Storm Isha on Jan 21.
PHOTO: AFP
In Ireland, which was badly hit by Isha, at least 235,000 homes endured power cuts, according to energy provider ESB.
Another 45,000 people were without electricity in Northern Ireland, where a motorist died on Jan 21.
Several thousand properties went dark in northwest England and Wales, and several people had to be rescued from their cars in northern England when a swollen river broke its banks.
Felled trees in Scotland closed major roads, while debris and floods forced the cancellation of all morning rush-hour trains in the country on Jan 22.
Police said an 84-year-old man died at night on Jan 22 when the car he was in hit a fallen tree near the Scottish capital Edinburgh.
Dozens of flights were cancelled or delayed late on Jan 22, with some planes diverted after they were unable to land due to high winds.
A Ryanair flight to Dublin from Manchester landed in Paris while another heading to the Irish capital from the Canary Islands was re-routed to Bordeaux in southwestern France after unsuccessful attempts to touch down.
Several dozen schools in the Scottish Highlands were closed on Jan 22 as flood warnings remained in place.
Britain’s weather agency, the Met Office, said the storm was expected to move away throughout the day. AFP
