Storm Gerrit ‘throws hundreds of lives into chaos’ with Rishi Sunak urged to hold Cobra meeting in wake of ‘T5 tornado’

STORM Gerrit has thrown thousands of lives into chaos with Rishi Sunak urged to hold a Cobra meeting in the wake of a tornado.

A supercell thunderstorm moved across northwest England yesterday after the same type of storm resulted in a tornado that damaged homes in Greater Manchester.

STEVE ALLENDamaged houses in the Stalybridge area of Greater Manchester[/caption]

LNPFlooding in York where the River Ouse has broken its banks[/caption]

LNPA fallen tree on a car after a supercell thunderstorm crossed Greater Manchester[/caption]

The thunderstorm moved east across Morecambe Bay bringing hail, frequent lightning and gusty winds to parts of Lancashire, according to the Met Office.

The forecasting body said a supercell thunderstorm crossed Greater Manchester on Wednesday night and that it had a “strong rotating updraft”, which suggests “a tornado at the surface was likely”.

Around 100 properties were damaged by a “localised tornado” in Stalybridge, Tameside.

Meanwhile residents in the badly hit village of Carrbrook told of the states of “absolute disaster” houses were in.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation has confirmed the incident was a tornado and given it a provisional maximum damage rating of T5.

The Liberal Democrats called on the PM to convene a Cobra meeting after the damage wreaked in the Greater Manchester town.

Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said: “Hundreds of lives have been thrown into chaos with homes destroyed straight after Christmas. It’s devastating.

“Rishi Sunak needs to call an urgent Cobra meeting to ensure a swift, robust recovery plan so those affected can begin rebuilding their lives.

“Any delay could have a devastating impact on families already displaced whose lives have been turned upside down by this tornado.”

Storm Gerrit also caused power outages and widespread travel disruption.

What is a T5 rating?

Winds of 137-160mph.
Heavier motor vehicles (4×4, 4 Tonne Trucks) levitated.
Wall plates, entire roofs and several rows of bricks on top floors removed.
Items sucked out from inside house including partition walls and furniture.
Older, weaker buildings collapse completely.
Utility poles snapped.

Around 1,500 homes in Scotland experienced a second night without power while a lightning strike hit supplies in Wales yesterday.

Power company Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said it had restored supply to more than 46,000 properties, with people in the north east and Shetland worst affected.

They said the remaining homes should be reconnected on Friday with welfare vans serving hot food and drink to affected customers from 9am.

Operations director Andy Smith said: “This has been a difficult couple of days for the communities affected and I’m grateful to them for their patience and support as our teams work extremely hard to restore power.”

National Grid UK said 36,000 properties were without power in Ceredigion on Thursday after lightning struck.

Three men died after their 4×4 vehicle was submerged in the River Esk, near Glaisdale, on Thursday, North Yorkshire Police said.

Hayley McCaffer, 40, who lives in Carrbrook, said that some of her neighbours‘ houses “are an absolute disaster” with missing roofs and “squished” cars.

Damage will be covered by standard property insurance policies, the Association of British Insurers has said.

ScotRail said many lines have been reopened but urged passengers to check for the latest information before travelling.

That message was echoed by LNER, Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway who suspended or cancelled services due to damage or system faults.

Friday will see significant disruption for travellers wishing to travel on the London Euston and Watford Junction lines with services expected to be up and running by the end of the day.

In Wales, the aftermath of the recent severe weather will see rail services hampered until Monday.

Ferry services also experienced cancellations and delays due to storm activity with operator DFDS confirming sailings between Dover and France were delayed due to strong winds in the English Channel.

Air travel in and out of the UK saw cancellations but most services have returned to normal.

The Met Office reported the worst of Storm Gerrit had passed with the last few days of 2023 forecast to be unsettled with strong winds, rain and even snow on higher ground.

Met Office chief forecaster Steven Ramsdale said: “Heavy rain will spread across all but the far north on Saturday, affecting similar areas previously affected by Storm Gerrit.

“However, this rainfall will be a step down from that seen during Storm Gerrit.”