Storm Bert disrupts travel and cuts power across UK and Ireland

By Muvija M

LONDON/DUBLIN (Reuters) -Storm Bert battered Britain with snow, rain and strong winds on Saturday, killing one person and closing several railway lines, bridges and roads.

The storm also hit Ireland, flooding roads in the west and cutting power to tens of thousands of customers.

A man in his 60s died after a tree fell on a car on the A34 highway in southern England, local police said.

The runway at the Newcastle airport in northeast England was covered in snow, briefly disrupting flights.

In Scotland, some train services were suspended due to the weather, ScotRail said on X. The Severn Bridge, which connects Wales to England, was shut due to strong winds, the National Highways website showed.

Snow covered roads and stranded cars in parts of the northern UK.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly termed the storm a “multi-hazard event”, saying it was expected to bring snow, rain and wind to Britain for most of the weekend.

In Ireland, the heavy rain led to flooding in parts of the west coast, making some roads impassable. The Irish Meteorological Service placed a “status red” rain warning – its highest level – for the counties of Cork and Galway from Friday night.

Floodwater could be seen rising towards the top of parked cars in the Donegal town of Killybegs.

Power company ESB Networks, which provides energy for the whole of Ireland, said high winds had led to power outages affecting 60,000 homes, farms and businesses overnight, mostly in the west and northwest.

(Reporting by Muvija M in London and Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by David Holmes and Frances Kerry)