Thousands have woken up this morning without power after Storm Gerrit saw major incidents declared across the UK after a 'localised tornado' and 'supercell thunderstorm'.
The storm caused a "localised tornado" which damaged properties across Greater Manchester and, overnight, an estimated 100 homes had to be evacuated. The Met Office, which officially named Storm Gerrit on Tuesday, said the tempest was a rare "supercell thunderstorm," ones that contain updrafts which rotate about a vertical axis. This was largely because wind speeds hit 90mph in some places
A major incident in Greater Manchester was declared after police were called to "numerous reports of significant damage" as early as 11.45pm when Storm Gerrit continued to sweep across the country. It had already caused a major incident in the Scottish Highlands.
No one was reported injured in Greater Manchester but some of those who had to evacuate their houses haven't yet returned. Matthew Marsland, who lives opposite the badly damaged homes on Hough Hill Road, said he heard a "crazy noise" and "vibrations through the window" for about thirty seconds when the freak weather event hit at around 11:45pm on Wednesday.
He told the Manchester Evening News he went into the street to pick up some debris after and noticed a gutter lying in the middle of the road, before he realised his neighbour's roof had been destroyed.
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"I heard extreme noise at my back window," he said. "I was stood at my patio door and there was just basically a crazy sounding noise and then vibrations through the glass.
The roof of a property damaged last night during high winds in Stalybridge (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)"I looked out of the window and saw a bit of debris so I thought I'd go out and pick a few bits up...Then I saw a piece of tree next to my neighbour's car, then I looked further along the street and saw a gutter in the middle of the street so I thought I'd go and pick that up, and then I saw my neighbour had had half his house torn off."
He said the whole incident lasted "25 to 30 seconds". "Two or three minutes later the entire estate was on the street, and we were just wondering what would happen next," he added. He said he "saw the intensity of the rain" through his back door and "could feel the moisture of the rain through the glass".
"I wouldn't have had time to react even if I had wanted to - and then before anything had happened it was all over." Also caught up in the storm was Coun Dave Sweeten from Tameside Council. He told the M.E.N he had "never heard any winds like it".
"It woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep," he said. "I started looking at the council website and realised it was a major incident and we'd opened Dukinfield Town Hall for anyone that was displaced."
He said he was 'very proud' of the way local authorities and emergency services had responded to the incident. "You've got New Year coming up, a new start, and it's just not what anybody needs," he added. Another man, whose car was badly damaged in the incident, said it was "lucky nobody was killed".
Tameside Council said about 100 properties were evacuated after the “mini tornado” hit areas of Carrbrook and Millbrook. A spokesperson said: “It is believed everyone affected made arrangements to stay with family and friends overnight. Our officers have been out all night and continue to be out today clearing debris, fallen trees and making roads, footpaths and other areas safe.”
Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "This incident has undoubtedly affected numerous people in the Stalybridge area with many residents displaced from their properties during the night.
"Our highest priority is keeping people safe which is why we are advising those who have been displaced not to return or enter their properties which have significant damage until they have been assessed by structural engineers. I would also like to urge members of the public to avoid the area where possible and take extra care when travelling in vehicles on the roads in Stalybridge and the surrounding areas, due to debris in the road."
Homes damaged after Storm Gerrit (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)Most of the homes damaged by the "freak winds" are in Stalybridge, which is in the Tameside area in the east of Greater Manchester. Some parts of the area are on higher ground as the conurbation merges with the rural Peak District National Park. In Wales, many described the storm as the "loudest noise we've ever heard". One person wrote online: "Gales, heavy rain and lightning in Pembrokeshire. Window is actually shaking!" Another added: "Caernarfon is really bad. I heard like a growling and thunder-type booms not so long ago."
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Thousands across the UK have woken up without power. As of this morning, at least 14,000 properties are still without power. Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said it had restored power to just over 31,500 homes.
Director of corporate affairs Graeme Keddie told BBC Radio Scotland: “Many of those are in the north-east and Shetland which saw later impact into yesterday afternoon and evening, and that will be very much our priority through the course of today.
A tornado has caused major damage in Stalybridge (UKNIP)
Cars stuck on the A9 because of the heavy snow from Storm Gerrit (Daily Record)“One of the main impacts we’ve seen is around access to faults – so blocked roads, flooding in fields, and issues with snow. We’re very hopeful that that will ease today but that has meant our teams on the ground have been saying that (in) the time it’d take to fix two or three faults they have only been able to fix one, but we are hopeful of further progress today as weather conditions have eased.”
Asked how long it will be before power is restored to all customers in Scotland, he said: “Based on the impact, particularly in the north-east, we do believe that some customers, particularly in areas that have been impacted heavily or rural locations, will be into Friday.”
The roof of a property damaged last night during high winds in Stalybridge (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)Although all weather warnings concerning wind have now expired, delays on roads and railway lines are still likely today. Fallen trees and flooding had blocked roads yesterday, and there were widespread train problems, largely due to the weather.
Avanti West Coast said a tree falling on overhead wires between Rugby and Lichfield Trent Valley in the Midlands means some lines are blocked today. Journey times for services from London Euston towards the North West are being extended as trains are diverted via the Midlands. Train services between London Paddington and Reading have been suspended after a person was struck by a train, Great Western Railway (GWR) said. This is affecting GWR and Elizabeth line services. Disruption is expected to continue until 11am.
Buildings have been damaged amid the rage of Storm Gerrit (UKNIP)GWR said: "It is with great sadness that we report a person has been struck by a train, leading to all lines being blocked. It is necessary to bring all trains in the affected area to an immediate stop."
There were also flight cancellations at Heathrow Airport after blustery conditions forced air traffic control to put restrictions in place, affecting routes between UK airports as well as European destinations.
A fallen tree on a car in Stalybridge (Ioannis Alexopoulos/LNP)Some 24 flood warnings are in place today at the time of writing, including several across Yorkshire and Humber and multiple across the East Midlands, such as Woodborough Brook at Woodborough, Nottinghamshire. There are a further 157 less severe flood alerts, including many across northern England.
This is because further heavy rain is expected today, especially across northern England and most of Scotland. This afternoon, a separate band of rain will fall across London and the southeast. It will be windy across the country again, with gusts at their strongest across Scotland this time.
Passengers were evacuated from a train in Scotland last night after it hit a fallen tree on the line (RaymondSouthorn)As sleet and snow will fall across the northwestern tip of the Scottish Highlands, temperatures will vary hugely across the UK today. Highs of 13C are expected in London, warmer than average, but the mercury will struggle to exceed 6C in some parts of Scotland, such as Aberdeenshire.
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