Storm Ciarán news live: UK set for washout bonfire weekend as Storm Domingos to slam into Europe

Death toll in Europe rises to 12 as cars swept away as downpours flood hospitals in Italy

Waves batter Devon coast as Storm Ciaran hits UK

With the worst of Storm Ciarán now over for Brits Storm Domingos is moving across the Atlantic and is expected to slam into Europe on Saturday.

The worst of Domingos is expected to hit northern Spain and western France along the Bay of Biscay, where gusts in excess of 60 mph are possible in addition to heavy rain.

Despite the centre of Ciarán now over the North Sea, many British Bonfire Night events have been cancelled or postponed with added travel disruption expected.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather notice for heavy rain across the south and south west of England lasting from 5am on Saturday to 11.59pm.

A yellow weather warning for rain has been issued for Saturday as 42 flood warnings remain in place as downpours are expected to hamper down ahead of bonfire night.

Dozens of flood warnings remain in place across the South coast with a few in the East of England and several scattered around North Yorkshire as rivers reach their limit.

Thunderstorms are likely to catch in the southeast as up to 30-40mm are expected in the coastal regions.

The Met Office said: “A spell of heavy rain early in the day clears northwards but is followed by fairly frequent heavy and blustery showers.”

It comes as at least 12 people have died across Europe as Storm Ciarán unleashed chaos and widespread flooding, while thousands of homes in the UK are still without power.

Have you been affected by Storm Ciarán? Email barney.davis.ind@independent.co.uk

Key Points

• Dozens of flood warnings in England as UK reels under after-effects of Storm Ciarán
• Amber weather warnings issued across England and Wales
• Tornado watch warning issued
• British Airways grounds 30+ Heathrow flights

[4 November 2023 01:00 · Lydia Patrick]

Flood damage in Ireland ‘would bring tears to your eyes'

The minister for social protection has said the flood damage she saw during a visit to Co Louth would “bring tears to your eyes”.

Minister Heather Humphreys and the minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) Patrick O’Donovan visited business owners and householders in Carlingford on Friday.

A further three million euros were given as funding for the humanitarian assistance scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection this week, to provide support to those living in properties directly affected by flooding in Louth and Wexford.

Those floods followed flooding in parts of Cork and Waterford in October.

Speaking to reporters in Carlingford, Ms Humphreys said that some of those affected did not have insurance cover “through no fault of their own”.

“They need help because their houses are absolutely devastated. Like, it would really bring tears to your eyes when you see what they’re putting up with.

“They’re showing you the damage, and the dirt and the muck and all that’s involved in a house being flooded, it really is heartbreaking for them.”

[4 November 2023 02:00 · Lydia Patrick]

People affected by Storm Ciaran urged to check insurance terms and keep receipts

Households and businesses affected by damage caused by Storm Ciaran are being reminded to keep receipts and check the terms of their insurance policies.

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba) said that temporary emergency repairs at a reasonable cost should be paid by insurers, but people should make sure they keep all of their receipts.

Many home insurance policies and business policies cover flood and water damage, but it is important to check exclusions or excesses in the policy that may affect the cover, it said.

Strong winds and rain from Storm Ciaran have been battering parts of the UK, including the south of England and the Channel Islands.

[4 November 2023 03:00 · Lydia Patrick]

Watch - Cars abandoned in waist-high floodwater as heavy rain batters Jersey

[4 November 2023 04:00 · Lydia Patrick]

Dozens of flood warnings remain in place

The threat of flooding remains high in the south of England as the UK feels the after-effects of the devastating Storm Ciaran.

42 flood warnings are in place with 167 flood alerts alerts stretching up through the country, after the south coast and the Channel Islands were battered with heavy rain and gusts of up to 100mph on Thursday.

The extreme weather looks set to bring downpours and strong winds to Scotland and parts of northern England on Friday.

Nearly 150,000 homes were left without power and by 4pm on Thursday, around 11,300 properties still had no electricity.

Some 135,700 had been reconnected, the Energy Networks Association (ENA) said.

[4 November 2023 05:00 · Lydia Patrick]

Pictures- Storm Ciarán chaos

A woman walks her dog as Storm Ciaran brings high winds and heavy rain along the south coast of England, in Brighton, (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Waves crash over the promenade in Folkestone, Kent, as Storm Ciaran brings high winds and heavy rain along the south coast of Englan (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

People photograph the waves crashing over the promenade in Folkestone, Kent (Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)

[4 November 2023 06:00 · Lydia Patrick]

Watch - Sea spits mangled 4x4 truck out onto Devon beach following Storm Ciarán

[4 November 2023 07:00 · Lydia Patrick]

Bonfire Night celebrations at risk of washout as Met Office issues weekend warnings

Britons have been warned to expect a washout bonfire weekend as the remnants of Storm Ciarán are set to bring more downpours on Saturday.

A yellow weather warning is in place across much of the south of England with travel disruption expected as rain falls on ground already saturated from the storm.

Tonight, showers will continue across the northeast and west, while parts of Scotland and northern England have been told to expect frost and fog.

By Saturday, rain and wind will sweep northwards across England and Wales and those in the south can expect to see lightning. By Sunday, those celebrating Bonfire night can expect conditions to remain dry but chilly as temperatures are predicted to dip.

[4 November 2023 08:36 · Barney Davis]

From Kent to Cornwall: South still under yellow heavy rain warning

A warning for heavy rain and showers is still in force across southern England.

The Met Office yellow alert comes days after Storm Ciaran battered the same area with rain, flooding and winds of up to 100mph.

Although Storm Ciaran has largely eased, the warning has been issued to last from 5am on Saturday to 11.59pm – stretching from Kent to Cornwall.

(Met Office)

Up to 40mm (1.57in) of rain is possible.

The Met Office has said there would be frequent heavy and blustery showers throughout the day, with the odd thunderstorm and 30-40mm of rainfall possible in coastal, south-eastern areas.

[4 November 2023 08:47 · Barney Davis]

Jersey residents count cost as rare trees wiped out by Storm Ciarán

Large numbers of uprooted and unstable trees will keep Jersey’s reservoirs closed until further notice while clear-up operations can begin in the wake of Storm Ciarán.

Jersey Water said both Queen’s Valley and Val de la Mare reservoirs will remain closed to the public over the weekend and likely into next week so that workers can assess the full extent of the damage and start the necessary works to make footpaths safe again.

Alex Morel, from Jersey Trees for Life, said the “scale of devastation is far beyond what we expected”.

“We have lost some rare and threatened species of trees which will be hard to replace,” Mr Morel said. “Our priority at this point in time is to make the paths safe again for people who want to walk around the arboretum and the reservoir.”

(Jersey Water)

Jersey Water chief executive Helier Smith said: “Initial inspections of the reservoirs indicate that we have very sadly lost a number of trees across both sites. Footpaths are impassable and very hazardous so we cannot stress enough how important it is for members of the public to respect the closures we have in place.

“We face a significant clear-up operation before we can consider re-opening the reservoirs. Very sadly the arboretum at Val de la Mare has been hit hard and there have been significant losses across the botanical collections, which is particularly upsetting given the important work Jersey Trees for Life has been undertaking since we committed to funding their maintenance programme earlier this year.”

[4 November 2023 09:05 · Barney Davis]

Heartstopping footage of two children narrowly avoiding huge waves crashing into Folkestone

This is the shocking moment two children are nearly knocked down by huge waves from Storm Ciaran crashing into Folkestone.

Two children are seen narrowly avoiding being swept off a promenade as they run along the seafront during the height of the storm with an adult following them.

They fortunately make it to the safety of a stairwell after one gets flattened by the rushing water.

The RNLI said in the hours approaching Storm Ciaran it advised people to “exercise extreme caution if visiting the shoreline, especially along exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers”.

“We’ve seen a number of people in perilous situations where the outcome could have been far more serious,” a spokesman said when asked about the close call in Folkestone by Kent Online.