The clear-up is under way after the record-breaking Storm Ciarán caused widespread damage in parts of the UK, with a conservation charity estimating the combination of wind, rain and powerful waves caused five years’ worth of erosion in one day at cliffs on the south coast of England.
Householders and businesses were warned to prepare for possible flooding after heavy rain fell on already saturated ground, which is expected to lead to river levels rising rapidly in some areas in the coming days.
Though the storm passed quickly over the UK and the Channel Islands on Thursday, winds of up to 102mph damaged buildings and caused scores of people to be evacuated.
At 2pm on Friday there were 74 flood warnings and 221 flood alerts covering much of England apart from the north-west. The River Ritec in Tenby, south-west Wales, had reached record levels and a severe flood warning was in place.
The Met Office had a yellow severe weather warning in place for heavy rain on Friday in north-east Scotland, where it said there could be further disruption. It also extended a severe yellow warning for Saturday taking in a large stretch of southern England from Cornwall in the west to Kent in the east.
At Studland in Dorset, the National Trust said sand dunes had collapsed and beach huts and fencing lost.
Tracey Churcher, the trust’s general manager for Purbeck, said: “It’s usually strong easterly winds that we have to look out for, but what has really surprised everyone is the damage caused by this southwesterly. There was very low atmospheric pressure and high tides, which combined with the sheer power of the sea had an impact that shocked staff and those who know Studland well.
“It has created coastal change at a rapid pace. We’re estimating that Storm Ciarán, over two high tides, has created the amount of coastal erosion that we would normally expect to occur over four to five years.”
The charity said Hive beach at Burton Bradstock, Dorset, sustained “significant damage” because of the combination of strong winds and high tides. The lower car park was breached for the first time and the charity said the damage made the whole area more vulnerable to future storms.
An estimated 3,000 tonnes of rocks and boulders fell from cliffs at West Bay in Dorset. Richard Edmonds, 61, a freelance geologist, said: “As it stands, the cliffs are extraordinarily dangerous and people should be very careful. I wouldn’t go near the cliffs at all for the next couple of weeks. The likelihood of another fall soon is tremendous.”
On the island of Jersey, where the government reported winds reaching 102mph, schools were closed and flights to and from the airport suspended on Friday morning after “extensive infrastructure, equipment and system failures” were identified. The airport reopened in the afternoon.
The government said: “Many roads remain impassable and islanders remain advised to think carefully before leaving home. Teams from the parishes, emergency services and the infrastructure and environment department are continuing to clear roads, but many which have been cleared have overhanging branches which are dangerous and could fall.”
Jersey’s chief minister, Kristina Moore, said the government was making sure that people displaced by the storm when their homes were damaged had shelter and were safe.
Cornwall council said work on the clean-up would continue throughout the weekend and into next week after 419 separate incidents were reported to the highways team. It received 282 calls reporting fallen trees or large branches at locations across Cornwall, and 112 reports of flooding on the roads or properties. Other incidents included minor landslips and collapsed walls.
The council leader, Linda Taylor, said: “We have got through the worst of it with no reported injuries or major incidents, which is testament to the hard work done this week.”
In and around Southampton, Southern Water set up bottled water stations for people whose supplies were cut off. Power had been restored to the vast majority of homes. Most rail and ferry services restarted but travellers were warned to prepare for knock-on delays.
The Met Office said a new record for the lowest mean sea level pressure recorded in England and Wales in November had been set, with a value of 953.3 hectopascals or millibars in Plymouth and 958.5 in St Athan in south Wales.
⚠️ #StormCiarán has set a new record for the lowest mean sea level pressure recorded in England and Wales in November, with a value of 953.3 hPa (mb) in Plymouth and 958.5 hPa (mb) in St Athan
— Met Office (@metoffice) November 2, 2023
◾ The previous record in England was 959.7 hPa (mb), set in 1916
◾ The previous… pic.twitter.com/zruckdYR2K
The previous record in England was 959.7, set in 1916. For Wales, it was 962.7, set in 2010. The record for the UK was set in Scotland in 1877 with a value of 939.7 and remains unbroken.
