Britain battered by another day of gales

Published on Wednesday 12 March 2008 21:12

THE Forth Road Bridge was closed to traffic for several hours yesterday after a gust of wind overturned a lorry, as Britain was again pounded by gales and heavy rain.

The Met Office morning weather bulletin had indicated bridge operators could keep the crossing open to high-sided vehicles.

However, a sudden 68mph gust of wind struck at 11:15am, toppling the curtain-sided lorry halfway across the bridge and blowing it across the central reservation.

The vehicle was removed and damage repaired, allowing the bridge to be reopened to traffic in both directions shortly after 4pm.

A 40mph speed limit and a ban on high vehicles was imposed. It was the second such incident on the bridge this year.

Meanwhile, more than 55,000 racegoers hoping to enjoy the Queen Mother Champion Chase were disappointed when the second day of the Cheltenham Festival was cancelled.

Strong winds had made the marquees in the tented hospitality area unsafe and organisers were forced to call off the day's racing.

Races have been rescheduled at the racecourse which also suffered storm damage on Sunday night.

Edward Gillespie, Cheltenham's managing director, said the decision was taken after wind speeds of more than 50mph were predicted.

Yesterday, the Met Office issued severe weather warnings for much of central and northern England, north Wales and Northern Ireland and said conditions were "extremely hazardous".

The Met Office had issued a severe weather warning for south-west Scotland, predicting gales and snow yesterday morning but said winds were likely to ease during the day. Parts of Scotland were hit by strong winds causing some travel disruption. Flood watches were in place in five regions.

Exposed parts of western Scotland saw the highest winds, with gusts of 62mph recorded in Machrihanish in Argyll, and 46mph at Prestwick in Ayrshire. High winds also buffeted southern parts of Dumfries and Galloway and light snow fell over higher ground in southern Scotland.

The gales caused problems for motorists, who were warned to drive with caution on the Skye and Kessock bridges.

Some ferry services between Stranraer and Belfast were cancelled while there was disruption to services between Larne and Cairnryan in Dumfries and Galloway. Caledonian MacBrayne said there was disruption on the Wemyss Bay to Rothesay route.

Gareth Harvey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, said: "Much of Scotland actually escaped the worst of the winds, though it has been strong in the south of Scotland."

Forecasters said the weather is likely to calm down later in the week, though rain is predicted and it could turn cold at the weekend.

STORM BRINGS CHAOS TO RAIL AND ROAD

THE strong winds battering parts of the UK have caused widespread havoc and disruption.

&#149 Rail passengers were advised to avoid travelling on the east coast main line as high winds swept across England. Operator National Express imposed an 80mph speed limit between Stevenage and Edinburgh because of the risk of track obstruction or power failures.

The west coast main line was also disrupted by the high winds and a 50mph speed limit operated for a few hours. Other train services, including the Sunderland to London link operated by Grand Central, were also affected.

&#149 In Manchester, a woman was taken to hospital after a lamppost fell on her car. She suffered whiplash and cuts and bruises.

&#149 The driver of an HGV on the M6 escaped injury when her vehicle was blown over shortly after 4am.

&#149 The Thelwall Viaduct in Cheshire was closed after three lorries overturned on a stretch of the road between junctions 20 and 21.

&#149 In East Sussex, high winds caused a tree to fall on to a coach on the A26 near Uckfield. Luckily, no-one was injured.

&#149 In St Helier, Jersey, dozens of properties – including the island's 100-year-old Opera House – were flooded after fierce storms destroyed a stretch of defensive wall.

&#149 Staff at the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset – hit by bird flu last December – had to rebuild nests washed away in the Chesil Beach area during the south coast storms on Monday.

&#149 A man and woman were nearly killed when a giant wave crashed over a sea defence and swept them off their feet in Porthleven in Cornwall – a popular observation spot for "stormwatchers".

&#149 A section of the coast road between Allonby and Silloth in west Cumbria was undermined when high tides pushed by the wind breached the sea wall.