Storm Bert floods hit Wales as weather warning system gets questioned
Heavy flooding from Storm Bert affected hundreds of Welsh homes this weekend while local leaders question Met Office warning levels. Power cuts and travel chaos spread across UK as storm moves through
Local authorities in Wales are not-happy with Met Officeʼs yellow-level warning for Storm Bert which caused major flooding this weekend. Council leader Andrew Morgan expressed surprise at the low-level alert saying “During Storm Dennis we saw an amber warning in advance and a red warning issued in the early hours; I do think that will need to be reviewed shortly“
The storm hit Rhondda Cynon Taf region hard (with about 300 properties getting flooded) and officials had to declare a major incident. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan pointed out that many homes faced flooding for the second time but mentioned that recent flood-protection work helped save lots of properties
Tragic news came from different parts of UK as the storm moved through: authorities found a body during search for 75-year old Brian Perry near Afon Conwy river; another elderly man passed away when his car got stuck in water in Lancashire
The storms impact on infrastructure was significant - around 350k homes lost power; though most got it back quickly. Air travel faced big problems with more than 300 flights cancelled; Heathrow airport struggled with 40-mph crosswinds
Met Office services director Simon Brown defended their actions: “Storm Bert was well forecast 48 hours in advance with warnings highlighting flood risks; weʼll review our warning strategy with partners in coming days“
- More than 200 flood alerts stay active in England and Wales
- Travel problems will likely continue into next week
- Most power-affected homes now have electricity back
