Damage to homes and buildings, falling trees, power cuts, flying debris, large waves and even some flooding in places should be expected into Monday morning.
Commuters faced travel disruption this morning after Storm Isha battered the UK with more than 100mph winds, leaving tens of thousands without power.
Rush-hour trains were axed for many as more cancellations and delays are expected for rail, air and sea travellers.
At least 30,000 people have no power across the north of England and Scotland, with another 40,000 affected in Northern Ireland, according to Lawrence Slade, the chief executive of the Energy Networks Association.
A yellow warning for wind is in place for the entire UK until midday, after the Met Office had issued two amber wind alerts and a red warning for parts of northern Scotland, which have expired.
Storm Isha – latest updates
At its height the storm brought winds gusting up to 107mph on the Tay bridge in Scotland.
There was still the possibility of more damage to homes and buildings, falling trees, power cuts, flying debris, large waves and even some flooding in places into Monday morning.
Key points:
• Electricity North West said crews have been stood down until Tuesday evening due to the conditions;
• Network Rail has imposed 50mph speed restrictions across most routes;
• Scot Rail has cancelled all rush-hour trains and services may not resume until “later on Monday”;
• Sellafield nuclear site closed on Sunday as a precaution.
In northwest England, crews won’t carry out repairs until Tuesday evening due to the conditions, while Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) said weather conditions were “more severe than initially forecast”.
The firm said “full network restoration is not expected today” and 10,500 properties have no power supply as of 8.45am.
Get the five-day forecast where you are
Agencies across Cumbria declared themselves on standby for a major incident, with Sellafield nuclear site closing as a precaution on Sunday.
Someone was treated at the scene after being struck by falling debris when scaffolding became dislodged in Belfast.
The Met Office said “everybody” has been affected by the storm, while heavy downpours battered some places with 28 flood warnings in place in England and 50 in Scotland.
Planes struggle to land in strong winds
Network Rail has imposed 50mph speed restrictions across most routes to keep passengers and trains safe from falling trees and debris blown onto tracks.
Scotland’s railway operator cancelled all of its rush-hour trains and services may not begin running until about noon.
The remains of a garden shed were blown on to the line at Bellgrove station in Glasgow and a small fire broke out after a tree fell on overhead wires in Gartcosh, Cumbernauld, Network Rail said.
A wall and fence were blown on to the line at Glasgow Queen Street, while the River Tay breached safety limits at the Dalguise Viaduct on the Highland Mainline, forcing the overnight watchman to abandon the site.
UK weather: The latest Sky News forecast
Further south, no LNER trains will run north of Newcastle until midday and East Midlands Railway has said delays and alterations to its services are “likely”.
Meanwhile, air traffic control restrictions are in place, leading to flight cancellations and causing some planes to divert.
Ryanair flights to Dublin from Manchester and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands diverted to Paris and Bordeaux respectively.
A Tui flight from Sharm el Sheikh to Glasgow Airport declared an emergency and was diverted to Manchester.
‘Scariest plane landing I’ve ever experienced’
And the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro) said a tornado is “possible” in England and Wales.
A more serious “tornado watch” zone was in place for Northern Ireland, as well as parts of Scotland and northern England, but expired late on Sunday.
Cold Arctic air pushing south into North America is making the jet stream more active, the Met Office said, and because it flows from west to east, it is bringing stormier weather to the UK.
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Storm Isha is the ninth named storm to hit the UK since the season began in September.
Each storm is named when it poses a risk to people and they are given names beginning with consecutive letters of the alphabet.
The record number of named storms in one year is when the Met Office began the practice in 2015/16, with Storm Katie being the 11th and final storm of the season.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
