LONDON – Britain’s roads and railways were hit by closures on Monday after Storm Bert battered the country over the weekend, causing widespread flooding and killing four people.
There were more than 300 flood warnings and flood alerts in place across England and Wales as of 1100 GMT on Monday, while trains from London to the southwest were cancelled and rail services in central England were severely disrupted.
The environment agency estimates around 100 properties have been flooded.
Even though the storm was subsiding, the government said people should remain vigilant as the forecast showed flood risks for England would continue for the remainder of Monday, with ongoing river flooding expected.
A Met Office spokesperson said: “As always with a named storm, a full assessment of the forecast and warning strategy will take place with our partners. I would expect this to take place over the coming days.”
“Storm Bert was well forecast, 48 hours in advance, with a number of warnings in place ahead of the system reaching the UK.”
Some major roads were closed, while fallen trees on rail lines cut off services between London and Stansted Airport, Britain’s fourth busiest hub. Lines have now reopened following earlier damage, but major disruption is still expected.
The disruption comes after Storm Bert hit Britain late on Friday, bringing snow, rain, and strong winds.
The Met Office kept a warning for strong winds in place for northern Scotland on Monday and said the storm would clear from that part of the country early on Tuesday.
