Storm Henk LIVE: 300 flood warnings issued as 100mph winds cause travel chaos

There are 100,000 homes still without power on Wednesday morning after Storm Henk wreaked havoc on power lines.

The Energy Networks Association – which collates data from all energy providers – said that technicians have reconnected around 125,000 customers and are continuing to connect the remaining homes.

The organisation said: “Some parts of the country have seen winds in excess of 80mph, and it’s the debris carried by this intensive wind which has caused significant damage to power lines in places”

Storm Henk battered the UK with 100mph winds and lashing rain yesterday. Pictures from London and Kent show trees bowed over by the extreme weather, crushing vehicles and falling into front gardens.

The Metropolitan Police were called at 3.14pm to reports that a woman had been struck by a tree in Station Approach. Her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

National Highways said several major roads in England are closed due to flooding.

The A52 in Nottinghamshire was closed in both directions between the A60 (Nottingham Knight roundabout) and the A606 (Edwalton) but one lane of the eastbound carriageway reopened this morning. The westbound remains closed.

The A1 in Lincolnshire is closed northbound from the A52 (Grantham) and the B6326 (near Newark) because of standing water.

The A21 in East Sussex is closed in both directions between the A2100 (near Johns Cross) and the A28 (near Baldslow) because a fallen tree is resting on power cables above the road.

National Highways said: “With more rain expected in many areas throughout the day, it is anticipated that the roads will remain closed for several hours.”

Great Western Railway said flooding due to Storm Henk has blocked several parts of its network.

Flooding near Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire means all lines are closed between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

Services between London Paddington and South Wales are being diverted, adding around 40 minutes to journey times.

Flooding also means the route between Liskeard and Looe is blocked, and some lines are closed between Totnes and Plymouth.

A danger to life flood warning is among the more than 300 flood warnings that are currently in place across the UK.

The severe flood warning is for the River Nene at Billing Aquadrome and nearby business parks where there is “deep and fast flowing water and a rapid onset of flooding”.

There are 331 other warnings in place across the country, warning of expected flooding in those areas.

Disruption to South Western Railway (SWR) services from the impact of Storm Henk is expected to continue throughout Wednesday.

SWR chief operating officer Stuart Meek and Network Rail interim route director for Wessex Matt Pocock said: “We are very sorry for the disruption customers experienced yesterday, due to the serious and widespread impact of Storm Henk.

“The severe winds led to trees on the line damaging or delaying trains in multiple locations across our network.

“We jointly took the decision to suspend running services for several hours to ensure the safety of all our customers and colleagues.

“This had a knock-on effect with delays and cancellations through the rest of the day. We expect disruption linked to this storm to continue through today because of trains and crews being displaced.

“We would urge everyone to check before they travel to see whether their train is running as planned. Once again, we’re sorry for the disruption to your journey.”

Last year was provisionally the second warmest on record for the UK since records began in 1884, the Met Office has said.

Only 2022, which saw temperatures exceed 40C for the first time in recorded history, was hotter.

Wales and Northern Ireland had their warmest years, with the Met Office saying climate crisis has made these benchmarks “significantly more likely”.

There was also more rainfall than usual for much of the country with multiple storms bringing flooding in eastern Scotland and parts of England.

The Met Office figures come as December temperatures globally are once again expected to smash records with 2023 expected to be the hottest in human history in terms of average temperatures.

From damaged cars to downed trees, photos and videos on social media show the damage caused by Storm Henk across the UK.

Josh Hargreaves, a Greenwich resident, posted a video of winds knocking down what appeared to be a tent attached to some poles in an under-construction building.

Another video, posted by Nicola Chester, a North Wessex resident, showed heavy winds raging.

“The winds currently are the worst I’ve seen,” wrote Pauline, a mother of four, whose car was hit by a falling tree on Suffolk-Essex border.

Several people were also stuck in buses, trains and airports for hours as the storm disrupted transport while many residents encountered blocked roads.

“My road’s been Henk’d,” wrote Zyed, a Salford University student.

Kew Gardens is closed and the popular Christmas at Kew event has been cancelled for this evening due to “severe weather”.

“Kew Gardens will close at 2pm today and Christmas at Kew has been cancelled this evening, 2 January, due to severe weather.

“Last entry to the Gardens will be at 1.30pm. Christmas at Kew ticket holders will be contacted with information. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused,” it wrote on X.