Britain may have “dodged a bullet” as the worst of Storm Ciarán missed southern England, but weather and flood warnings are still in place across the country.
Almost 90 flood warnings are active with more than 235 flood alerts stretching up through the country, after the south coast and the Channel Islands were battered with heavy rain and gusts of up to 100mph on Thursday.
The extreme weather is expected to bring downpours and strong winds to Scotland and parts of northern England on Friday.
• Storm Ciarán latest: school closures as major incident declared
Dave Throup, a former Environment Agency manager, said that if Storm Ciarán had tracked 150 miles further north, as forecast by some models, “much of southern England would be waking up to catastrophic damage”.
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A Met Office yellow warning has been issued for southern England, including Portsmouth and Brighton, for Saturday afternoon and evening, with heavy rain and gusty winds expected to cause travel disruption and possible flooding.
Aidan McGivern, a meteorologist, said: “Hopefully the worst of it is now easing at it moves away. Ciaran is moving into the North Sea. It’s weakening. It is filling but it’s still bringing quite a blustery wind to many places.”
Which schools are closed?
Schools in the south reopened on Friday after being forced to shut due to stormy conditions. Those in Jersey will remain closed on Friday, with islanders asked to stay at home.
Is it safe to drive during Storm Ciarán?
Journeys are likely to take longer in affected areas. The agency has advised people not to drive through floodwater. Motorists should check flood warnings before travel.
The RAC is advising drivers in the south and west of the UK to avoid coastal and rural roads and has said anyone who is not confident driving in poor conditions should delay their journey.
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Amy Shaw, national network manager at National Highways, said: “It is important to plan ahead for your journey during Storm Ciarán, and if weather conditions become challenging, adjust your driving behaviour and take extra care.”
How will train and bus travel be affected?
Services are returning to normal, but LNER said some disruption could continue into Saturday.
Journeys are likely to take longer in affected areas. Train and bus services are operating with delays, cancellations and revised timetables.
Will flights be affected?
Jersey Airport is closed to commercial flights, with Ports of Jersey saying engineers had discovered extensive infrastructure and equipment damage and system failures caused by the storm.
An attempt to reopen the airport is expected at 2pm on Friday. Meanwhile, it is still operating for emergencies and medical transfers.
Will the weather improve into the weekend?
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The weekend continues to look unsettled with further showers for many, according to the Met Office.
