Strong Winds Disrupt Transport in Northern UK

Strong winds battered northern parts of the United Kingdom on Thursday, March 12, prompting yellow weather warnings from the Met Office and causing widespread transport disruptions across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

The warnings, effective from 5 a.m. until 8 p.m., covered northern England including Merseyside, the East Midlands, and North Wales, as well as central, southern, and northeastern Scotland. A separate alert for Northern Ireland ran until midday. Forecasters attributed the blustery conditions to an active weather front moving southeast across the country. Gusts of 50 to 55 miles per hour were expected widely, with coastal areas and regions downwind of high ground facing speeds of up to 60 or 70 miles per hour. In Northern Ireland, winds reached 40 to 50 miles per hour in the morning, briefly intensifying to 50 to 60 miles per hour alongside heavy rain before easing from the west.

Disruptions emerged quickly as the winds peaked. In Merseyside, fallen trees blocked roads and forced bus diversions. Arriva North West rerouted its service 204 after a tree fell on Bowring Park Road, advising passengers to allow extra time. Green Lane in Old Swan closed around...