Storm "Bert" Storms in the UK cost several people their lives

dpa

25.11.2024 - 05:20

Storm "Bert" covers the British Isles with heavy rain and floods entire streets. A state of emergency is declared in a district in the south of Wales.

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  • Storms triggered by storm "Bert" in Great Britain and Ireland have claimed the lives of several people.
  • According to British media reports, at least three deaths have been recorded in England and Wales after rain and thawing snow caused severe flooding over the weekend.
  • Further deaths were reported in road accidents, which are still being investigated as to whether they are directly related to the severe weather conditions.

Storms triggered by storm "Bert" in the UK and Ireland have claimed the lives of several people. According to British media reports, at least three deaths were recorded in England and Wales after rainfall and thawing snow caused severe flooding at the weekend. There were further deaths in road accidents, which are still being investigated to determine whether they are directly related to the severe weather conditions.

In the north of Wales, a dead man was discovered who is believed to be a missing walker. He was reportedly caught in the floodwaters of a river that had burst its banks. In the county of Hampshire, a driver was killed by a falling tree, according to the Guardian, and another died when he tried to cross a ford in his car.

Hundreds of houses damaged by floods

At times, more than 200 flood warnings were in place in England, Scotland and Wales. Fierce winds whipped up the floodwaters even more, making the situation even more precarious. A state of emergency was declared in a district in the south of Wales. According to the PA news agency, around four-fifths of the usual rainfall for the whole month of November fell there within 48 hours.

Several hundred houses were damaged by the floods and in some places entire streets were under water. According to the radio station RTÉ, around 60,000 households in Ireland alone were temporarily without power.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer thanked the rescue workers on the online platform X and expressed his sympathy to all those affected. He will be kept informed about the further consequences of the storm. According to the British Meteorological Agency, the storm should slowly move out to sea on Monday.

dpa