Summary
Thank you for reading the Guardian’s live coverage of Storm Isha. Here is a short summary of some of the day’s main developments:
An 84-year-old man has died during Storm Isha after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a fallen tree in Grangemouth on Sunday, according to Police Scotland.
A man in his 60s has died in a road collision involving two vans and a fallen tree in Limavady, County Londonderry, on Sunday night, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has said.
A number of people had to be rescued by firefighters from flooded roads in the Yorkshire Dales. North Yorkshire fire and rescue service said responders were sent to Morton Bridge, Morton-on-Swale, in the early hours of Monday to help people from four trapped vehicles.
ScotRail services across Scotland will be suspended from 7pm on Tuesday as Storm Jocelyn hits the UK and there will be no rush hour services the following morning, the railway operator has said.
Among the strongest wind gusts produced by Storm Isha so far is at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland, which recorded a high of 99mph. The village of Capel Curig in Snowdonia recorded gusts of 90mph while Needles Old Battery weather station on the Isle of White recorded a gust of 86mph
High winds have caused flight cancellations and diversions. One flight travelling from Sharm El Sheikh to Glasgow airport declared an emergency due to Storm Isha. A spokesperson for Glasgow airport said the TUI flight was “diverted to Manchester due to current weather conditions” late on Sunday.
ESB Networks reported more than 170,000 properties in Ireland were without power while Electricity North West said crews had been stood down due to the conditions with almost 8,000 homes losing power. The company said expected restoration times had been pushed back to 5pm on Tuesday.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the weather was putting “significant pressure” on the 999 system and urged people to report non-emergencies online or by calling 101.
Stretches of the M9 and M74 were among roads closed throughout the night, Traffic Scotland says, while the A1 southbound was closed at Thorntonloch due to an overturned lorry.
The remains of a garden shed were blown on to the line at Bellgrove station in Glasgow, Network Rail says, and a small fire broke out after a tree fell on overhead wires in Gartcosh, in Cumbernauld.
The “destructive” storm-force winds have damaged overhead power lines in the north of Scotland, affecting supplies for more than 20,000 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution customers in the area. SSEN said, as of 8.45am, supplies had been restored to more than 17,500 customers, with 10,500 properties off supply.
Thank you for following along.
ScotRail services across Scotland will be suspended from 7pm on Tuesday as Storm Jocelyn hits the UK and there will be no rush hour services the following morning, the railway operator has said.
Phil Campbell, the ScotRail customer operations director, said:
The heavy wind and ongoing rain hitting most parts of the country mean that it will not be safe for our customers and our staff, and all ScotRail train services will be suspended from 7pm tomorrow.
This is the second withdrawal of train services this week, and we know the impact this has on customers, but the safety of staff and passengers will always be our priority.
Updated
Here are a couple more images of the cleanup from Storm Isha, which has forced some roads to close and led to at least three deaths.
A spell of strong winds associated with Storm Jocelyn is expected to affect western and northern Scotland from Tuesday evening, the Met Office has said, issuing an amber weather warning.
The forcaster also issued a yellow warning in some other parts of the UK, which is expected to lead to some localised disruption.
Winds in northern Scotland are likely to reach 55-65mph quite widely, and there is potential for gusts of 75 to 80mph in a few places, in particular exposed parts of the Western Isles and coastal northern Scotland, according to the forecaster.
Winds will slowly ease from the west during Wednesday morning.
Regions and local authorities affected:
Grampian
Aberdeenshire
Moray
Highlands & Eilean Siar
Eilean Siar
Highland
Orkney & Shetland
Orkney Islands
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute
North Ayrshire
Yellow warnings were also issued in parts of: the east Midlands, the east of England, London and south-east England, north-east England, south-west England, Wales, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.
You can find more information about the weather warnings and advise about how to stay safe here.
Updated
The North Yorkshire fire and rescue service also said the incident in Morton-on-Swale was just before 5am on Monday and involved the rescue of five people and two dogs from two cars, one van and one HGV.
A spokesperson said:
Everyone, including the dogs, were brought to a place of safety. Highways closed the road to prevent further incidents.
He said other incidents attended by firefighters included a metal canopy damaged by high winds at the front of a cafe in Scarborough; a garage roof made unsafe by the storm, also in the seaside town; and a fallen tree blocking a road in Hawes.
Updated
The North Yorkshire fire and rescue service said the incident in Appersett on Sunday evening involved a Ford Mondeo that had become trapped in flood water after the nearby river overflowed.
A man and a woman in their 20s and a three-year-old girl were rescued from the car.
Updated
A number of people had to be rescued by firefighters from flooded roads in the Yorkshire Dales.
North Yorkshire fire and rescue service said responders were sent to Morton Bridge, Morton-on-Swale, in the early hours of Monday to help people from four trapped vehicles.
One woman who was rescued, Charlie Curry, told ITV Calendar News:
It was definitely a terrifying experience at the time. But I made it out alive and everyone’s all right. Just let’s see how the van’s doing.
This followed an incident in Appersett, Wensleydale, where crews came to the aid of a car stuck in water and took the occupants to a nearby pub.
More information to come…
Updated
Man in 60s dies in road accident involving fallen tree
A man in his 60s has died in a road collision involving two vans and a fallen tree in Limavady, County Londonderry, on Sunday night, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has said.
A statement from the police said:
A man in his 60s has died in a collision on Broad Road in Limavady. He was the driver of a Vauxhall Vivaro van which was involved in a collision with a fallen tree and another vehicle at around 9.45pm on Sunday 21 January.
The male driver of the other van involved, a Citreon Berlingo, has been taken to hospital for treatment. The road was closed for a time but has now reopened.
You can read a full statement and appeal below.
Officers from the Collision Investigation Unit are investigating after a man in his sixties died in a collision on Broad Road in Limavady on Sunday night.
— Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 22, 2024
Read full appeal here: https://t.co/ms55bxnQbk pic.twitter.com/4Qbe7XuWqZ
Updated
Roger Mac Ginty posted this video of his dog on X, saying that Storm Isha has definitely reached ear-flapping conditions.
Storm Isha is just getting going and I can confirm that it is already ear-flapping weather. #stormisha #Isha pic.twitter.com/jxlphgh2lv
— Roger Mac Ginty (@rogermacginty) January 21, 2024
Storm Jocelyn, forecast to arrive on Tuesday, will be the 10th named storm in five months, and only the second time in a UK storm season the letter J has been reached in the alphabet.
Storm seasons run from the start of September to the end of the following August. The first time the letter J was reached was in March 2016, with Storm Jake. The farthest a storm season has reached in the alphabet is the letter K, when Storm Katie was named, also in March 2016.
The Met Office began naming storms in 2015.
Last year’s storm season made it only as far as the letter B, with Storm Betty in August. By contrast, this year’s season has seen storms named in every month so far: Agnes in September 2023. Babet in October. Ciaran and Debi in November. Elin, Fergus and Gerrit in December and Henk, Isha and Jocelyn in January 2024.
It is rare, but not unheard of, for the UK to experience a sequence of storms across a handful of months.
There were 11 storms between November 2015 and March 2016, the first season in which storms were named, beginning with Abigail and ending with Katie.
And there were at least 12 major winter storms from mid-December 2013 to mid-February 2014, “the stormiest period of weather the UK has experienced for at least 20 years”, according Met Office records.
Not all of the alphabet is used when naming storms. The letters Q, U, X, Y and Z are omitted, in line with convention established by the US National Hurricane Center. It means the storm names still available for the current season are Kathleen, Lilian, Minnie, Nicholas, Olga, Piet, Regina, Stuart, Tamiko, Vincent and Walid.
Updated
We reported earlier that trees at the famous Dark Hedges had come down in the storm. Images are now emerging of the extent of the damage:
Updated
Here are some of the latest images from the wires, showing the chaos caused by Storm Isha.
Here is some information about the rail disruption caused by Storm Isha from National Rail, particularly the impact on Southeastern services.
ℹ️ #StormIsha - Storm Isha - Impact on Southeastern serviceshttps://t.co/Sc8kOJHXBB
— National Rail (@nationalrailenq) January 22, 2024
Updated
Storm Jocelyn to bring heavy rain and strong winds to UK
The next storm of the season has been named Jocelyn by the Irish forecaster, Met Éireann.
Storm Jocelyn is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
#StormJocelyn has been named by @MetEireann and is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the UK on Tuesday and into Wednesday #weatheraware 🌀 pic.twitter.com/DihJvBBCUg
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 22, 2024
Updated
Man dies in Scotland
An 84-year-old man has died during Storm Isha after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a fallen tree in Grangemouth on Sunday, according to Police Scotland.
Updated
Rishi Sunak has said the government is working hard with authorities to restore power to homes remaining without it. Speaking at the National Film and Television School, the prime minister said:
The first thing to say is my thoughts are with all those who’ve been affected by the storm over the past day or so. My thanks also to all the emergency responders who have been working incredibly hard to support people.
I would urge people to just continue to monitor the travel advice to make sure they’re doing everything to keep them and their families safe.
And regarding power, the progress we’ve made is almost 300,000 properties have had their power restored.
Obviously, there are still some where that’s not the case, but I want to reassure everyone we’re working as hard as we can with the relevant authorities to get those people’s power restored as quickly as possible.
Updated
Several trees in Northern Ireland made famous by the TV series Game of Thrones have been damaged and felled by the storm.
Work is ongoing to clear the site at the Dark Hedges in Country Antrim. The tunnel of trees, which became famous when it was featured in the HBO fantasy show, attracts significant numbers of tourists from around the world.
Mervyn Storey, the chair of the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust, said:
It looks like there are three trees down. We have had people out since dawn trying to clear the road. There are a number of other trees down in the area as well. This is another blow to the Dark Hedges. In fact, one of the trees that was healthy has been blown down. It is very sad.
Updated
The “destructive” storm-force winds have damaged overhead power lines in the north of Scotland, affecting supplies for more than 20,000 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution customers in the area.
SSEN said, as of 8.45am, supplies had been restored to more than 17,500 customers, with 10,500 properties off supply.
It said while teams were working hard to reconnect customers, full restoration was not expected on Monday because of the widespread damage, and challenges reaching faults because of fallen trees and road closures.
Andy Smith of SSEN said:
From first light this morning, our teams have been carrying out line patrols to assess the full extent of any damage to our network.
This work will continue through the day, enabling us to target our repairs in the right location and provide our customers with estimated restoration times. The latest information will be displayed on our Power Track app.
We’re working closely with resilience partners to support our customers’ welfare. I’d also encourage anyone who may need additional support to contact our dedicated teams on our power cut helpline, 105.
Updated
Updated
Some dramatic images are coming in of the storm battering Blackpool in Lancashire.
Updated
Information boards at Edinburgh display delayed and cancelled train services at Edinburgh Waverley station. The rail network throughout the UK, but particularly in Scotland, has been heavily affected by the storm.
The Dun Laoghaire coastguard in Ireland have released this image of the tempestuous conditions as Storm Isha passed through last night:
Updated
The remains of a garden shed were blown on to the line at Bellgrove station in Glasgow, Network Rail says, and a small fire broke out after a tree fell on overhead wires in Gartcosh, in Cumbernauld.
At least 10 trees fell on the line between Garrowhill and Easterhouse near Glasgow and damaged overhead lines. A wall and fence were blown on to the line at Glasgow Queen Street, while the River Tay breached safety limits at the Dalguise Viaduct on the Highland Mainline, forcing the overnight security guard to abandon the site.
East Midlands Railway says delays and alterations to its services are likely, while no LNER trains will run north of Newcastle until noon. Avanti West Coast warns of changes and delays on Monday and says no passengers should attempt to travel between Preston and Scotland until services are due to resume at 9am.
Updated
Stretches of the M9 and M74 were among roads closed throughout the night, Traffic Scotland says, while the A1 southbound was closed at Thorntonloch due to an overturned lorry.
High winds forced the closure of the Tay Road Bridge, M48 Severn Bridge and the A66 in Durham and Cumbria between the A1(M) and the M6, while the Humber Bridge, A19 Tees Flyover and A628 Woodhead Pass in Derbyshire were among stretches closed to high-sided vehicles.
Rail services in Scotland suspended after 'wild night'
Train services in Scotland are expected to be suspended until around noon after “a wild night”, Network Rail says.
The railway has recovered quickly this morning following Storm Isha with trees and debris cleared across routes in England and Wales, and route proving trains reporting lines clear.
Passenger and freight services have restarted and a good service is expected in most areas. Passengers should still check before they head out for the latest travel news on trains operators’ websites.
The exception is Scotland, where we do not expect to be able to restart services until around midday with dozens of lines shut due to fallen trees and flooding.
Hundreds of engineers are already out, armed with chainsaws and cherry pickers to remove and repair. Once done, route proving trains will be dispatched before passenger services can restart.
It’s been a wild night, but passengers and railway staff have been kept safe and we will work tirelessly to get the railway back on its feet as quickly as we can.
Updated
Many roads impassable in Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the weather was putting “significant pressure” on the 999 system and urged people to report non-emergencies online or by calling 101.
Ch Supt Davy Beck said many roads across Northern Ireland remained impassable on Monday morning.
He said in a statement:
Between 3.30pm on Sunday, 21st January and 2am on Monday, 22nd January, officers dealt with over 1,300 calls from the public, approximately 600 of these related to the storm.
“There is also a continued risk of significant debris on the road network as wind speeds remain high throughout Monday.
“A multi-agency response continues to deal with the aftermath and recovery from Storm Isha, and we thank the public for their continued patience and understanding.
The sailing of a Stena Line ferry from Belfast to Birkenhead, due to arrive at 6.30pm on Sunday, was delayed until at least 7.30am on Monday.
Pictures: #StormIsha brings disruptions to Derry, leading to road closures and property damage. Stay vigilant and safe as the clean-up operation begins. @BelTel pic.twitter.com/4YZ0xWKfhf
— Aodhán Roberts (@AodhanRob) January 22, 2024
Updated
High winds have caused flight cancellations and diversions. One flight travelling from Sharm El Sheikh to Glasgow airport declared an emergency due to Storm Isha.
A spokesperson for Glasgow airport said the TUI flight was “diverted to Manchester due to current weather conditions” late on Sunday.
National Air Traffic Services (Nats) told PA Media:
Due to adverse weather conditions across the UK, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place. Restrictions of this sort are only every applied to maintain safety.
Our teams are working closely with airports and airlines to minimise disruption. Passengers should check the status of their flight with their airline.”
Belfast airport cancelled flights to and from the airport and warned that disruptions could continue into Monday.
Updated
Thousands left without power across UK and Ireland
Thousands of people have been left without power as Storm Isha brought disruption to electricity networks across the UK and Ireland.
ESB Networks reported more than 170,000 properties in Ireland were without power while Electricity North West said crews had been stood down due to the conditions with almost 8,000 homes losing power.
The company said expected restoration times had been pushed back to 5pm on Tuesday.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks said hundreds of extra staff had been brought in and incident centres opened after about 45,000 customers had been left without power, many of them overnight.
Updated
Amber warning lifted, yellow warning remains in place across UK until midday
The Met Office’s amber warnings have been lifted but a yellow warning has been let in place across the country until midday. That means:
Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs, could happen
Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible
Power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
Injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
Some roads and bridges may close
Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible.
After a top gust of 99mph overnight, #StormIsha is now moving away
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 22, 2024
However, it remains windy this morning with a yellow warning out for all until midday
Expect some disruption this Monday morning ⚠️ https://t.co/ejWfF75qOP
Updated
Here are some of the latest images from across the UK and Ireland.
Among the strongest wind gusts produced by Storm Isha so far is at Brizlee Wood in Northumberland, which recorded a high of 99mph.
The village of Capel Curig in Snowdonia recorded gusts of 90mph while Needles Old Battery weather station on the Isle of White recorded a gust of 86mph:
Here are to top wind gusts from #StormIsha so far 👇
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 22, 2024
Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/f6153dEHiF
Updated
Monday will be wet across the UK today according to the Met Office, which is predicting plenty of “blustery showers” especially in the north and west and high winds across the country.
🌦️ There will be plenty of blustery showers to start on Monday, these heaviest in the north and west
— Met Office (@metoffice) January 21, 2024
🌬️ Remaining windy for all, although easing a little in the south later
⛅ Some sunny spells in the southeast, but still feeling chilly with northwestly winds pic.twitter.com/qeAEpFxSHv
There are also amber wind warnings in place across much of the UK until 6am, meaning, according to the Met:
Damage to buildings and homes is possible, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
Roads, bridges and railway lines may close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
Power cuts could occur and affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
Flying debris could result in a danger to life
There is potential for large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
Early Monday morning trains cancelled across Scotland
Scotland’s railway operator has said there will be no Monday morning rush-hour services, after an amber weather warning for wind came into force on Sunday at 6pm. A red warning was later issued overnight, although it expired at 5am.
Network Rail says it made the decision to close the railway to passengers in the interest of public and staff safety.
Customer are advised to check the ScotRail website or app before travelling on Monday.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said:
The heavy wind and ongoing rain hitting most parts of the country mean that it will not be safe for our customers and our staff, and all ScotRail train services will be suspended from 19.00 [Sunday].”
We know the impact that the withdrawal of train services will have on customers, but our first priority is always to ensure the safety of staff and passengers – and this is a necessary step to ensure everyone’s safety during the severe weather.
Our colleagues at Network Rail Scotland will be working flat out through the night and into the morning to carry out safety checks, and assess what repairs are required to reopen the railway.
However, customers will be unable to travel early Monday morning, as trains will not be able to operate until the infrastructure has been made safe.
On Sunday evening, repair teams responded to reports of a tree which had fallen on overhead wires on a train track in Gartcosh, Cumbernauld. Network Rail thanked the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for extinguishing a small fire that broke out after the tree collided with the wires.
Network Rail also said a tree has fallen on to the tracks near East Linton in East Lothian.
The Met Office has also warned that damage to properties and businesses is possible.
Customers whose journey has been cancelled or disrupted due to adverse weather can travel two days after the date on their ticket, or also apply for a refund on any unused tickets.
Welcome and summary
Welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of Storm Isha with me, Helen Livingstone.
Travel disruption is expected across the country this morning with rush-hour trains axed for many and cancellations and delays also affecting air and sea travellers.
The Met Office has issued multiple weather warnings, including two amber wind alerts in place in England and Scotland until 6am and a red warning for parts of northern Scotland which was lifted at 5am. The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) meanwhile said on Sunday a tornado was “possible” in England and Wales.
Damage to homes and buildings, falling trees, power cuts, flying debris, large waves and even some flooding in places should be expected into Monday morning, forecasters have warned.
Agencies across Cumbria have declared themselves on standby for a major incident, with Sellafield nuclear site closing as a precaution on Sunday.
Stay with us for all the latest.
