Britain braces for Storm Chandra: Roads and colleges shut as 80mph winds, torrential rain and snow batter the UK

Storm Chandra brought torrential downpours, heavy snow and strong winds to Britain this morning as roads were shut, schools closed and rail services suspended.

The Met Office warned of major flooding and issued nine yellow or amber warnings for up to 80mm (3.1in) of rain, 20cm (8in) of snow and 80mph gusts across the UK.

The 35-hour low pressure system will continue to impact the country including London for the rest of today, having swept into South West England at 1pm yesterday.

The strongest winds will be in the South West and Wales, where 80mph gusts could hit Pembrokeshire and the Isles of Scilly; and 75mph expected in Northern Ireland.

Hundreds of communities were on flood watch after the Environment Agency issued a severe warning for Ottery St Mary in Devon and 99 other warnings for England.

The country also had 195 alerts; while Natural Resources Wales issued 18 alerts and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency had two warnings and 18 alerts in place.

A succession of Atlantic weather systems is driving wet and windy weather across the UK with snow likely on higher ground in the Pennines and Scottish mountains.

Meanwhile the UK Health Security Agency activated cold health alerts for northern England from last night until Friday amid a ‘greater risk to life of vulnerable people’.

The M48 Severn Bridge was closed this morning with the Humber Bridge shut to high-sided vehicles due to wind.

National Rail issued a warning that ‘poor weather may affect South Western Railway services until the end of the day’, while traffic between England and Wales was being diverted over the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.

Gwent Police said that the A40 was flooded between Abergavenny and Raglan, while sections of several roads in Dorset, Somerset and east Devon were closed due to flooding.

More than 280 schools closed across Northern Ireland due to the weather.

Forecasters had warned that flooding and travel disruption were likely with significant snow across higher ground in some northern parts of England and Scotland.

South Western Railway said flooding was affecting train services between Salisbury and Romsey services via Southampton Central, between Fareham and Eastleigh; and through Sway.

Great Western Railway reported flooding between Par and Newquay in Cornwall, and between Exeter St David’s and Barnstaple and Okehampton.

Transport for Wales said a tree was blocking the railway near Llanbister Road which meant trains were being cancelled between Swansea and Shrewsbury.

Several weather warnings were in force today, including amber warnings for South West England and the eastern coast of Northern Ireland for rain and wind respectively.

The Met Office said gusts of 60 to 70mph will affect eastern Northern Ireland, with possible 75mph gusts in coastal locations, adding that ‘easterly winds of this strength are unusual and are likely to be impactful’.

An amber warning for wind is in place on the eastern coast of Northern Ireland from 5am to 9pm today, with an additional yellow rain and wind warning for the whole of Northern Ireland for all of today.

Across the South West of England, where Storm Ingrid wreaked havoc and washed away part of a historic pier on the weekend, forecasters expect more downpours.

An amber warning for rain is in place for south Devon, much of Dorset, southern Somerset and south-east Cornwall until 9am today, where 30 to 50mm of rain could fall widely with up to 60 to 80mm over higher ground of south Dartmoor.

Less severe yellow warnings are in place for a more extensive area of southern England, as well as parts of northern England and Scotland.

A yellow warning for wind covers Cornwall, South West Wales and parts of northern Devon from 5am to 4pm today, with an additional yellow wind warning in force for southwestern Scotland for 5am to midnight today.

Yellow warnings for rain and snow have also been issued for the Pennines and south-west Scotland from midnight to 5pm today, where 2 to 5cm of snow could fall widely and as much as 10 to 20cm could accumulate at higher elevations.

There is a further yellow warning for rain and snow across much of central Scotland from 6am to midnight today.

A yellow warning for rain is in place from midnight until midday today for much of South East England, and for South West England and South and Central Wales from 1pm on Monday to 10am today.

Met Office chief forecaster Paul Gundersen said: ‘Initially, strong winds will impact the Isles of Scilly, western Cornwall and South West Wales which are still vulnerable after Storm Goretti, gusts of 70 to 80mph are possible here.

‘Heavy rain is an additional hazard as it falls on saturated ground in Dorset and southern parts of Devon, Somerset and Cornwall.

‘As Chandra interacts with colder air further north snow becomes a hazard, with 10 to 20cm of snow possibly accumulating over higher ground in the Pennines, southern Scotland and the Highlands.

‘With a complex spell of weather, its important people stay up to date with the forecast and any warnings in your area.’

RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Nick Mullender said: ‘Flooding is highly likely, making many roads dangerous. Our message to drivers is simple: do not drive through standing water unless you are completely certain the water is shallow enough and it’s safe to do so.

‘In these conditions, drivers need to slow down and stay alert. Wet roads can double stopping distances, so taking a cautious, steady approach and allowing extra time to react is essential.

‘And if your vehicle already has known faults, now is not the time to take risks. Avoid unnecessary journeys and get issues fixed promptly by a trusted mobile mechanic or local garage.’

Storm Chandra is the next storm to be named by the western Europe storm naming group list shared between the UK, Ireland and Netherlands.