A second person has died after their car was struck by a falling tree as Storm Eowyn battered the UK with hurricane-force winds.
A 19-year-old died has died in hospital after a road collision at 6:45am on Friday in East Ayrshire, after 20-year-old Kacper Dudek was named as the storm’s first victim in Ireland’s County Donegal.
Weather warnings have now been extended through until Tuesday as a frosty blast named Storm Herminia by European meteorlogists strikes parts of the UK, just two days after Storm Eowyn brought record-breaking wind speeds of up to 100mph.
As Storm Herminia brought thunderstorms and winds of up to 82mph in Cornwall on Sunday morning, the Environment Agency issued more than 30 flood alerts across southern England, including one more severe flood warning, as forecasters warn of up to 80mm of rain in some areas.
British Airways has cancelled 26 flights to and from London Heathrow, The Independent has found, with 3,000 to 4,000 passengers affected. They are all short-haul domestic and European flights.
Parts of the country still reeling from the damage caused by Storm Eowyn on Friday, described as “unprecedented on every level” by Northern Ireland’s first minister.
Storm Herminia ‘will be a notch down’ from Eowyn, says Met Office forecaster
Storm Herminia, as it is being dubbed by Spanish meteorologists, is not expected to be as strong as Eowyn was over the weekend.
Met Office forecaster Jonathan Vautrey said: “This is certainly going to be a notch down compared to Eowyn, whilst there is the potential for 60 to 70mph gusts of wind across the very far south west generally, we’re not going to be seeing the same strengths of winds as we have seen over the last couple of days.”
However “there are a lot of sensitivities around” following Eowyn, he said.
Alex Croft27 January 2025 04:00
What comes after Storm Eowyn? Future storm names for 2025 revealed
The Met Office has already confirmed the storm names to be used across 2024 and 2025 – as the UK hit by Storm Bert.
The new storms list – first launched in 2015 – for each year generally runs from early September until late August the following year, coinciding with the beginning of autumn.
James, Lewis and Mavis are all included in the new list in honour of figures from the Met Office’s 170-year history.
What comes after Eowyn? Read here:
Alex Croft27 January 2025 03:02
In pictures: Scale of Storm Eowyn’s damage laid bare
Alex Croft27 January 2025 02:00
Workers cut through fallen trees following ‘risk to life’ winds from Storm Eowyn
Alex Croft27 January 2025 01:00
Storm Herminia brings thunderstorms, 80mph winds and flood alerts as Eowyn clear-up continues
Britons are set to see at least three more days of heavy downpours and powerful winds, as a new weather front named Storm Herminia hit the UK almost immediately after Storm Eowyn caused major damage and disruption.
Cornwall was buffeted by thunderstorms and winds of up to 82mph on Sunday morning as Herminia made landfall from the South West, having been named by Spanish meteorologists.
Alex Croft27 January 2025 00:01
More than 200 flood alerts and warnings in place
Authorities have issued 207 flood warnings and alerts across the UK.
The Environment Agency has issued 167 flood alerts and 27 flood warnings in England. Natural Resources Wales has issued 11 flood alerts in Wales and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued two flood warnings for Scotland.
A flood alert is the least severe of the three-tier system, while a flood warning is the second most severe.
Alex Croft26 January 2025 23:22
In pictures: Workers clear fallen trees after Storm Eowyn
Alex Croft26 January 2025 22:47
Ten more cancellations at Heathrow on Monday
Other airlines have begun cancelling flights on Monday at London Heathrow. Five arrivals and five departures are grounded:
- Aer Lingus: Dublin
- Eurowings: Stuttgart
- Iberia: Madrid
- KLM: Amsterdam
- Lufthansa: Frankfurt
Under air passengers’ rights rules, travellers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to be flown to their destination as soon as possible on any airline, and to be provided with meals and hotels until they get there.
All the routes are served by multiple daily departures, and the airlines will aim to rebook passengers on adjacent flights.
Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent26 January 2025 22:21
ICYMI: Storm Eowyn ‘unprecedented on every level’, says Northern Ireland’s first minister
Northern Ireland’s first minister Michelle O’Neill has described Storm Eowyn and its impact as “unprecedented on every level”, as she and and her deputy Emma Little-Pengelly visited NIE Networks in Craigavon to thank workers.
Ms O’Neill said: “People will continue to work tirelessly to ensure people are reconnected as quickly as possible.
“It is very difficult given the sheer volume of damage that has been caused but we’re assured that all the work that can be done is being done and we want to thank the staff for all of their efforts.”
Alex Croft26 January 2025 21:54
Urgent health warning to hot water bottle users in cold weather
A woman has urged others to “never use” hot water bottles after her seven-year-old bottle exploded leaving her with third-degree burns. Karen O’Brien, a retail worker from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, suffered severe burns when her hot water bottle burst on her lap in March 2024.
The injury caused her skin to blister and peel away leaving “holes in the skin” that worsened by the hour. At Leicester Royal Infirmary, doctors removed layers of damaged skin to prevent infection. The burn left her with a large scar on her thigh and permanent skin discolouration.
Ms O’Brien is now warning others to avoid hot water bottles, and if they are using them to check their age. Hot water bottles perish over time so experts advise people to change bottles every two to three years.
Alex Croft26 January 2025 21:35
