After the storm comes the sun: Met Office predicts sunny spells and some ‘scattered showers’ after Storm Noa blitzed UK with 96mph winds
- Storm Noa brought travel disruption and chaos to the UK with 96mph winds
- But the Met Office predicts sunny spells and showers for Thursday commuters
The Met Office is predicting sunny spells and showers later today, as the UK recovers from being battered by 96mph winds brought by Storm Noa on Wednesday.
Britain will see temperatures in double figures and severely reduced winds on Thursday, although it will remain blustery at the coast and during rain spells.
On Wednesday a woman was seriously injured by flying scaffolding in Fareham, Hampshire, pilots struggled to land at Heathrow and huge waves smashed into UK coasts.
The gusts of up to 96mph were recorded as Storm Noa brought down trees across swathes of Britain, causing power cuts and blocking railway lines.
But the weather looks set to improve and feel milder for commuters early on Thursday.
By 11am on Thursday temperatures will already be in double figures in the south of England
HAMPSHIRE: A woman was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after scaffolding fell on her during Storm Noa
The Met Office said on Twitter overnight: ‘Scattered showers continue for many on Thursday, but plenty of sunny spells in between.
‘Lighter winds, however blustery at the coast and in any showers.
‘Feeling a little milder, although temperatures still below average.’
The forecaster predicts temperatures could reach 13C in southeastern areas, with temperatures to hit double figures in large parts of the UK, including western Scotland.
In Hampshire on Wednesday, a woman had to be rushed to hospital with serious injuries after scaffolding was blown off a roof and came crashing down on her due to heavy winds brought by Storm Noa.
Emergency services rushed to a high street in Fareham, Hampshire after the metal scaffolding was blown down outside a Halifax bank.
Shop workers on the high street described hearing a ‘loud bang’, with dramatic photos showing metal strewn across the street and police confirming the woman had suffered ‘serious injuries.’
HEATHROW: Tens of thousands of people tuned into Big Jet TV to watch enormous jets land
NEWHAVEN: Storm Noa caused waves higher than the lighthouse on the south coast yesterday
DOVER: The Irish Ferries Isle of Inisheer ferry battled against strong winds and rough seas as it arrived at the Port of Dover
WALES: A motorist drives through a wintry landscape near Llanfihangel-nant-Melan, Wales
CUMBRIA: Skiddaw mountain in the Lake District covered in snow Wednesday morning as Storm Noa sweeps the UK
WALES: Waves crash against the lighthouse wall in Porthcawl as Storm Noa arrived
SCOTLAND: A man trudges through the snow as Storm Noa hit the North of Scotland
DEVON: Dartmoor experienced a brief blast of snow, sleet and hail before sunshine returned
DORSET: A surfer in the fierce waves as Storm Noa battered the seafront in Bournemouth
DORSET: A dog walker on the sea foam covered promenade as rough seas from Storm Noa crashed against the sea defences at West Bay yesterday
Aircraft arriving at Heathrow could be seen swaying in the high winds amid Met Office warnings of short-term power cuts and disruption to road and ferry travel in the south west.
There was snowfall in Scotland, Wales and Cumbria with a sudden flurry of ‘snow, sleet and hail’ also reported in Devon.
Some homes were left without power and fallen trees blocked several roads in Devon and Cornwall.
A gust of 68mph was recorded at Berry Head at Brixham and at St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly a 64mph gust was logged.
BBC weather forecaster David Braine said: ‘In Plymouth there was a massive gust which rattled the roof and that was 60mph.’
Elsewhere, a tree fell on to a house in Torquay, Devon, and all the occupants were accounted for.
A woman was being treated by ambulance staff after her car was in collision with a fallen tree on the A377 between Crediton and Copplestone, blocking the road.
Her condition is not yet known.
Also in Devon, a woman had to be taken to hospital after her car was crushed and trapped by a falling tree Wednesday afternoon.
Fire crews confirmed she was treated at the scene of the incident, on the A377 near Spence Combe, until ambulance crews arrived who proceeded to take her on board and to hospital for a thorough assessment.
A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said that after rescuing the woman, ‘crews then remained on scene to allow police to complete their investigations and to make the vehicle safe.’
They added: ‘We wish the casualty all the best for her ongoing recovery.’ The casualty’s injuries are ‘not not suspected to be serious at this stage’.
SWANSEA: Major waves were crashing against rocks in Bracelet Bay overlooking Mumbles Lighthouse near Swansea
DEVON: A woman had to be taken to hospital after her car was crushed and trapped by a falling tree on the A377 near Spence Combe
LONDON: At London City Airport the strong winds pushed passenger planes sideways
KENT: In Folkstone, Kent, a lighthouse on the harbour was hit by massive waves and strong winds
Fire crews confirmed a woman was treated at the scene of the incident, on the A377 near Spence Combe, until ambulance crews arrived who proceeded to take her on board and to hospital for a thorough assessment
CORNWALL: In Cornwall tall waves roll in from a stormy sea
LONDON: A runner navigates the torrential rain close to Tower Bridge on Wednesday
BRIGHTON: Police and coastguards in search off the beach by Brighton Palace Pier after reports of missing people in the sea
NEWHAVEN: Storm Noa is battering the south coast as massive waves broke over Newhaven Lighthouse
In London, commuters were met with travel chaos as they tried to get the train home from Paddington Station yesterday.
Most train services from the station were cancelled from around 5.15pm after a tree fell onto the railway and made contact with the overhead wires near Acton Main Line station putting two out of four lines out of use in the area.
One commuter called the result ‘total carnage’ when they shared a photo of an overcrowded information desk at Paddington on Twitter.
Another commuter posted a picture of the departures board, showing all routes were either delayed, cancelled or awaiting further updates. They wrote: ‘Not sure I’m getting home tonight…’
The weather system, named Storm Noa by Meteo France, saw weather worsen over the course of the day.
The forecaster said there was a chance of ‘heavy outbreaks of rain and thunder’ in south-east England by Wednesday evening.
Taking to social media, one dog walker described how suddenly the Arctic blast had arrived.
They said: ‘Early sunshine & blue skies meant I decided to take the dogs and my coffee out to the sheepfold this morning …. then this! Snow, sleet and hail. Five minutes later we had sunshine again!’
GWR warned this afternoon that train services from Paddington were cancelled this afternoon after a tree fell on the line
Commuters were left stranded at Paddington Station after service cancellations on Wednesday
PLYMOUTH: Trees came crashing down, crushing cars after chaos caused by Storm Noa
DORSET: A couple battling the wind on the pier in Bournemouth
A swathe of wintry weather with heavy rain and strong 96mph gusts battered Britain as Storm Noa (pictured) swept across the nation
A blast of cold air this morning could even see an ‘increasing risk of snow over the higher ground for parts of the UK, especially in the north’. Pictured: Snow in Cleveleys, Lancashire
Although the weather is a named storm in France, it is not classed as such by the Met Office.
Heavy showers hit Scotland, with western areas predicted to see in excess of 30mm of rain and other areas set to see around 20mm of rain.
Temperatures in Scotland will dip to freezing level overnight into Thursday, particularly in rural areas in the north of the country.
Motorists – particularly those driving HGVs, motorhomes and motorcycles, and those towing caravans and trailers – have been warned to expect some difficult travel conditions.
National Highways is urging motorists to check conditions before beginning their commute. Drivers should be extra vigilant when travelling across exposed locations, such as coastal and high lying areas and bridges, as these areas could be affected by high winds.
A yellow warning for wind has been lifted in Northern Ireland, though the Met Office predicts strong winds of around 50mph in some coastal areas.
The grip of the unsettled conditions is set to last for the rest of the week, with sunshine and heavy showers for many on Thursday and persistent rain in the south on Friday.
It is then set to become drier and brighter into the weekend, while temperatures may start to rise next week.
Met Office forecaster Mr Dixon said: ‘The set up is low pressure dominant both in the South West and in Scotland. Overnight tonight and into Thursday, we are expecting these low-pressure systems to combine and move into the North Sea. This will leave behind showers across much of the UK with winds decreasing throughout the day on Thursday.’
The first storm to be named by the Met Office, or Irish or Dutch weather services, this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 name list.
The UK is experiencing wet and wintry weather this week. Pictured: Traffic on the A939 at the Lecht as fresh snow fell in the north of Scotland
Pictured: The sun rises over the countryside in Dunsden, Oxfordshire on Wednesday
BLACKPOOL: The Big One (pictured) at Blackpool Pleasure Beach had to be stopped just seonds before it reached the summit of its first terrifying drop
One day before Storm Noa brought chaos to Britain, thrillseekers in Blackpool faced horror as the iconic rollercoaster the Big One was forced to stop mid-climb.
The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which reaches a height of 235ft, had to be stopped just seconds before it reached the summit of its first terrifying drop yesterday afternoon.
Park staff had to scale the ride by foot to rescue the riders at 2.50pm yesterday due to the heavy gusts and the ride was kept closed the rest of the day.
Guests on the rollercoaster had to make their way down guided by staff, which had them scale down from nearly the top of the more than 200ft tall roller coaster.
They were seen gripping the handrails and carefully climbing down the over 400 steps on the red emergency stairs, the Blackpool Gazette reports.
A spokesperson for Blackpool Pleasure Beach said: ‘At 2.50pm Blackpool Pleasure Beach stopped the Big One train on the ride’s lift hill due to sudden changes in weather conditions.
‘Guests on the ride were reassured and escorted from the ride by Blackpool Pleasure Beach staff.
‘Due to high gusts of wind the Big One rollercoaster closed for the remainder of the day.’
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