The U.K. is battling yet another storm, even before it has recovered fully from two other storms. Those were Dudley and Eunice. It is now the turn of Storm Franklin. It battered the country with torrential rain, 90mph winds, and floods.
Public transport was in a chaotic condition, and some providers went to the extent of advising Brits simply “do not travel.” Flooded tracks and roads reduced available travel options.
The authorities issued flood warnings and alerts. Two of these pertained to life risk on the river Mersey at two locations. There was an evacuation of people from some parts of Manchester because of fears of the river bursting its banks.
In short, Franklin has thrown lives into disarray, and the people are trying to adjust to the climatic disturbance.
Mirror U.K. quotes Councilor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, saying the “process of evacuation was already underway.” This had become necessary to extend protection to residents who live in areas covered by severe flood warnings. In some places, streets in the towns had the appearance of rivers.
Storm Dudley had left thousands of people without power. This continued with Franklin.
A storm tests the infrastructure
Storm Franklin disrupted travel on the roads and rail lines. The recent storms tested the infrastructure and its ability to withstand disasters. Mirror U.K.
says many operators advised people to remain indoors and avoid venturing out. National Rail went in for cancellation on many routes.
Some of these were due to floods and waterlogging. London Overground services were either canceled or there was a reduction in frequency. Roads were blocked by debris like uprooted trees.
Loss of power linked to Storm Eunice and Storm Franklin
Storm Eunice left thousands of homes in the U.K. without power. The arrival of Storm Franklin is hampering recovery efforts. Franklin brought with it huge waves that crashed onto coastal areas. The strong winds destroyed homes, and emergency services had to deploy flood defenses.
Storm Franklin led to the diversion of flights
The inclement weather because of the storm led to diverting flights from Manchester Airport. The planes were preparing to land, but ultimately had to land elsewhere. The airport confirmed that there was no effect on departures.
British Airways faced a different type of problem. The gusty winds made it difficult to unload baggage from its plane. That gave rise to delays for passengers after they landed. As a result, the airline had to struggle not only to land but also to restock planes on time. These meant consequential delays in incoming and outgoing activities. U.K. Power Network confirmed restoration of electricity to the majority of properties across east and southeast England, but some customers had to remain without power.
