The Severn Bridge was closed and hundreds of homes were hit by power cuts this morning as Storm Aiden barrelled into the UK with gusts of up to 75mph and torrential downpours. Severe weather warnings for wind and rain are in place until 7pm for Ireland and the west coast of England, Scotland and Wales where travel disruption, flash floods and potential power cuts are expected. Wind speeds are expected to reach highs of up to 75mph on the islands off Scotland, with up to 70mph winds on the west coast. Elsewhere, at least 543 homes in the West Country faced black outs this morning when winds topping 50mph battered Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and South Wales on Halloween. Very strong winds could affect north-west Scotland between noon and 9pm on Sunday, including the possibilities of power cuts and delays for high-sided vehicles and public transport.

Source: The Nation October 31, 2020 14:04 UTC