More than 120 trucks are stuck in heavy snow on the highway as Hurricane Arwen – one killed – hit Britain at 90 mph.
The director and father of four Francis Lagan was killed when a tree fell on his car in Antrim, Northern Ireland last night – as swaths of Britain were put under a rare weather warning red for wind.
The devastating Hurricane Arwen brought 33-foot waves, falling temperatures and blizzards across much of Britain.
Bad weather also closed major roads and a railroad across the country, causing heavy traffic jams.
More than 120 trucks got completely stuck in heavy snowfall between junctions 21 and 22 on the M62 at 2:30 am today, leading to the closure of the road.
Sanders and a snow plow were quickly deployed to clear the way, Manchester Evening News reported.
The Met Office Red Alert has warned that parts of Britain’s northeast coast are at risk of collapse of buildings under pressure from severe coastal storms.
In Blackpool, a section of the Promenade was closed last night – Blackpool Council warned of a ‘collapsed building’ after strong winds hit the city.
Residents of neighboring properties have been evacuated by firefighters – and eyewitnesses say bricks and debris were scattered on the sidewalks.
And football legend Michael Owen shared on Twitter a photo of a giant tree that had fallen on the road leading to his home.
The first victim of the storm was a father of four who died yesterday after a tree fell on his car in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Francis Lagan is believed to have been driving with his wife and their two children – all of whom survived safely.
He was the principal of St. Mary’s Primary School in Maghera, County Derry.
And the Scottish government has ordered motorists to stay off the roads because of the ‘potential risk to life’ in the severe storm.
The move caused a flurry to return home, as rural communities feared they would be completely cut off.
Deputy Prime Minister John Swinney said: “The decision by the Met Office to issue a rare red weather warning for strong winds signals a potentially harmful and life-threatening risk to parts of Scotland.
“People from these affected areas should not travel under any circumstances including motorists.
“Yellow and yellow weather warnings are also in place for many areas and people should be extremely careful and plan all necessary travel in advance as there are disruptions in service and transport.
transportation chaos
“The Scottish Government is in close contact with local authorities and emergency services to ensure that people in affected areas receive the latest information, advice and assistance.”
The Red Weather Alert will apply to Angus, Dundee, Fife, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, East Lothian and all coastal areas along the Scottish Borders.
This warning is in effect from 3 pm on Friday to 2 pm on Saturday.
Meanwhile, rail operator London North Eastern Railway has issued a ‘Do Not Travel’ alert for customers as its services will be ‘significantly disrupted due to bad weather’ till Sunday.
The company operates trains on the East Coast main line between London and Scotland, calling at stations such as Leeds, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
Network Rail closed the North East Coast route to Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland starting at 5 p.m. Friday.
Passengers are warned that there may be new closures elsewhere on the route.
Warrick Dent, Director of Safety and Operations at LNER, said: “We encourage our customers with tickets for the 26th and next weekend to postpone their travel arrangements where possible.
“We expect services to be extremely busy throughout the weekend and advise customers to check our website and social media for the latest information. ,
UK Weather Forecast – Met Office issues ‘deadly’ warning for Storm Arwen as London may see 3 inches of snow
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