Britons have been battered with torrential rain and 75mph gales today as Storm Ellen swept in promising two days of mayhem.
The 900-mile wide tempest whipped up 15ft waves and flooded roads as staycationers faced chaos amid the first-ever named storm to hit school summer holidays.
Millions who have taken UK breaks away from home are facing torn-down tents, blackouts and travel disruption as winds, usually seen in winter, roll through.
Ellen, Britain’s worst storm for six months since Storm Dennis on February 15, was shown arriving overnight in dramatic satellite images and maps.
Millions who have taken UK breaks away from home are facing torn-down tents, blackouts and travel disruption as winds, usually seen in winter, roll through. Pictured: People hide from the rain on a rowing boat on the river Thames in Windsor, Berkshire
The 900-mile wide tempest whipped up 15ft waves and flooded roads as staycationers faced chaos amid the first-ever named storm to hit school summer holidays. Pictured: Staycationers from Co Tipperary on Tramore Beach, Ireland
Heavy rains are set to continue and a storm surge, spring tides and onshore winds may trigger coastal flooding as Storm Ellen batters Britain this week. The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for wind on Wednesday and Thursday which names western parts of Wales, south-west Scotland and all of Northern Ireland
The West will continue to see the strongest winds but gale-force 40mph gusts are also expected in parts of the East.
Surf towering more than 15ft was seen along the Cornwall coast and nearly 100 homes were blacked out by power cuts in the area as the Environment Agency warned of flooding.
A four-day buffeting of strong winds is ahead until Sunday, with rain easing after tomorrow.
Ellen, which contains remnants of Tropical Storm Kyle, is the first storm named in school summer holidays by the Met Office or Ireland’s Met Eireann since they began naming Atlantic storms in 2015.
Ellen is known as a ‘weather bomb’ by forecasters due to ‘explosive cyclogenesis’ seeing it strengthen as its air pressure plunges more than 24 milibars in 24 hours.
The storm’s air pressure fell by 34mb to 965mb in the 24 hours to midnight last night, Met Office forecasts showed.
Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna said: ‘Storm Ellen’s very unseasonable conditions come with the tourist season in full flow and trees in full leaf.
‘The low pressure is deepening, with warnings issued for winds of 70mph-plus in some exposed areas.
‘It will be wet and windy on Thursday and Friday, with further strong winds and squally rain bands.
‘And big waves will develop on some west coasts, combining with high tides.’
A Met Office forecaster said: ‘Summer will be long forgotten as rain and wind sets in. It will feel much more like autumn.’
The Met Office has said: ‘A “weather bomb” is not a perfect meteorological term but is defined as an intense low pressure system with a central pressure that falls 24 millibars in a 24-hour period.’
The Environment Agency said: ‘Local flooding is possible from surface water and rivers on Thursday evening in the South-West, and from large waves and high tides on Thursday and Friday in the South-West, Wales and North-East.
‘Land, roads and some properties may flood and there may be travel disruption.’
Rain and poor visibility on the M25 motorway in Kent as Storm Ellen sweeps into the UK today, promising a two-day deluge
A couple walk down to the water at the beach in Looe, Cornwall as the Met Office says we could see as much as 50mm of rain over higher ground, falling within the space of six hours
A dramatic rescue operation was launched this morning after a yacht was ‘snapped’ from its anchor and driven on to a West Country beach by the fury of Storm Ellen’s howling 70mph-plus winds
One person was aboard and he was safely rescued following a joint operation involving an RNLI lifeboat crew from Penlee Station and the coastguard
It comes after the Met Office warned we could see as much as 50mm of rain over higher ground, falling within the space of six hours.
Ellen has already devastated the UK, with a dramatic rescue operation launched this morning after a yacht was ‘snapped’ from its anchor and driven on to a West Country beach by the fury of the tempest’s howling 70mph-plus winds.
The Coastguard said the yacht was blown ashore from its anchorage out in the sea at Wherrytown, near Penzance, Cornwall. One person was aboard and he was safely rescued following a joint operation involving an RNLI lifeboat crew from Penlee Station and the coastguard.
Engineers were battling to restore supplies at properties near Falmouth, Par, Gunnislake and Porthleven.
As police warned the storm will turn roads into deadly skidpans, a driver was rescued when his car skidded and overturned on the A38 in Plymouth, Devon, this morning.
Another smash was reported on the B3285 at Goonhavern, Cornwall, and blown-down trees blocked roads at Liskeard and on the A380 Teignmouth Road in Devon.
The car park at the Tesco store in Truro has been turned into a lake by torrential rain.
A warning for gales will also come into force at 8pm tonight and will last across all of Thursday with gusts of up to 65mph are forecast inland along with 70mph gusts along the coast.
Huge waves pounded exposed beaches facing the Atlantic in north Devon and Cornwall, sending beach-goers and walkers scrambling for cover, while tourists were warned not to stand on promenades or rocks taking selfies in the storm – or they could be swept into the sea and drown.
The Met Office says there could be disruption to travel, debris on the roads and power cuts as trees crash across overhead lines.
Heavy rains are set to strike and a storm surge, spring tides and onshore winds may trigger coastal flooding.
The Met Office has also issued a yellow weather warning for wind on Wednesday and Thursday which names western parts of Wales, south-west Scotland and all of Northern Ireland as being at risk of being hit by the strong winds.
Flooding on the A35 near Dorchester, Dorset, as Storm Ellen hits the south west of the UK today, with carnage expected for the rest of the week
Heavy rains are set to strike and a storm surge, spring tides and onshore winds may trigger coastal flooding. Flooding on the A35 near Dorchester, Dorset
Flooded roads will turn into lethal skidpans and drivers taking blind corners could find huge trees lying across the tarmac, police warned
People walk in the rain on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle, Berkshire, as Storm Ellen hammers the UK today and is set to continue to do so for the rest of the week
A yellow weather warning stretching from Cornwall to south-west Scotland is in place from 8pm to midnight on Wednesday predicting strong winds which could cause some disruption to travel and power supplies on Thursday.
The stormy conditions represent a dramatic turnaround from the extreme heatwave experienced in Britain up until last week which saw temperatures of at least 93F (34C) for six days in a row for the first time on record.
Residents in Barnstaple, Devon, are still mopping up after torrential rain flooded shops and homes earlier this week.
Now they face another soaking as the latest storm tears a path across Ireland and slams into the UK today.
Some regions can expect rain all day – bang in the middle of the main summer holiday season.
Most of the UK can expect strong winds and rain over the coming days, the Met Office warned.
Nearly 100 homes were blacked out by power cuts in Cornwall as Storm Ellen raced in. Pictured is a rain-soaked man walking through Looe, Cornwall
A yellow weather warning stretching from Cornwall to south-west Scotland is in place from 8pm to midnight on Wednesday predicting strong winds which could cause some disruption
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Ramsdale said: ‘Following the recent hot and thundery weather we are seeing a significant change to very unsettled conditions for August with an unseasonal spell of strong winds associated with low-pressure centres for the second half of the week.
‘Uncertainty remains high in the intensity of these systems at this point, but we are confident in the change to a spell of much windier weather.
‘Tropical air associated with a decayed tropical cyclone is being drawn towards the UK, and the marked contrast between this warm and moist air with normal North Atlantic airmasses can lead to a very vigorous system.’
He described it as a ‘very vigorous’ weather system that has been created by the warm and moist air from a decayed tropical cyclone with normal North Atlantic air masses.
Temperatures are set to be much lower than the last 10 days, which have seen 86F-plus heat in many places.
Parts of East Anglia could still see highs of around 82F on Thursday.
Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Matthew Lehnert said: ‘Along with the sometimes heavy rain, strong winds have the potential to cause impacts that are not common in August.
Dark menacing rain clouds just miss the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset with sunbathers and holidaymakers watching on yesterday
Ominous clouds overlook the final day of the cricket match between Leicestershire and Durham in Leicester yesterday
‘With this spell of unsettled weather coinciding with trees in full leaf and a peak in the camping season, wind-related impacts are more likely at lower wind speeds compared to other times of the year, particularly across Northern Ireland where winds are forecast to be strongest.’
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis said: ‘This spell of autumnal-feeling weather is going to make driving conditions very unpleasant for a lot of us over the next few days.
‘Strong winds will mean journeys by road will take longer than usual, and could be affected by fallen branches on the roads. Add in some very intense rainfall and drivers will need to take real care to complete their trips safely.
‘We urge every driver heading out to make sure their car is up to the task to avoid a breakdown in the wind and rain, especially if they’re towing or taking a longer trip – in particular check the condition and pressure of all tyres before setting out.
‘When driving, slow down and pay close attention to high-sided vehicles and other drivers with caravans and trailers to give yourself plenty of time to react should any run into difficulties.’