A huge storm has hit the UK, with gusts of over 160 kilometres per hour adding to the chaos and misery of the ongoing flooding crisis.
Our reporter Emily Dexter, in the southern English county of Middlesex, said: “The Met Office have issued their first red warning of the winter which means there is a ‘risk to life’ and people should ‘avoid dangerous areas’. Widespread damage is expected, as the storm continues.”
Wales and Western England have borne the brunt, with power lost to tens of thousands of homes.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to spend whatever is needed to help flooding victims. Parts of the southwest have been under water for weeks.
Surrey near London is also waterlogged after heavy rain, Guests had to end their stay at one hotel earlier than planned, with emergency teams called in to help them escape from floods.
“it just got to a level that was too risky,” said Gemma Evangelista, Resident Manager of the Holiday Inn Hotel in Shepperton. “We just had to sort of evacuate people out so we got them to local hotels and did everything we could to help the community.”
Amid major rail disruption too, there is no sign of an end to this extreme weather.
Under fire for a perceived slow response to the crisis, David Cameron was chairing the government’s emergency Cobra committee.
Hurricane force winds in the Republic of Ireland meanwhile cut power to more than a quarter of a million homes and businesses there.
