Storm Dudley batters UK and leaves thousands without power

Train services have also been affected as a result of the wind

Author: Rory GannonPublished 17th Feb 2022

Thousands of people across the UK have woken up without power after Storm Dudley swept across the country.

Heavy rain and gusts of up to 90 miles an hour pushed the storm across the UK, leaving trees, railway cables and power lines down - causing disruption.

The Met Office had issued yellow weather warnings for wind for much of the north of UK, with an amber warning also in force for Scotland and the North of England.

As a result of the storm, areas such as the south of Scotland, North East, Cumbria and Lancashire are still without power.

In total, 14,000 homes across the country lost power at some stage during the storm, with 4,000 waiting to be reconnected.

But it's not only power that has been disrupted, many railway services have also been delayed as a result of the storm.

Rail replacement services are being provided as emergency workers try to clear trees that have fallen onto railways, potentially causing damage to the tracks.

The wind has also been so strong that even animals have had to take shelter in order to avoid being hurt.

However, despite the damage caused by Storm Dudley, the country is being told to prepare for worse to come.

A second weather system - named Storm Eunice by the Met Office - is due to hit the UK on Thursday night and follow through into Friday, with winds expected to reach up to 100 miles per hour in the South West.

An amber weather warning has been issued for much of England and Wales, with a yellow wind warning in place for Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The weather warnings will come into force from 3am tomorrow morning to 9pm on Friday evening.

Hear the latest news on Downtown on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.