Weather woes set to continue after Doris day

DIFFICULT DAY: A man is buffeted at Hook Moor wind farm in Leeds. PIC: James Hardisty

That was the message from forecasters after the city and the country as a whole endured a day of disruption caused by Doris powering in from the Atlantic.

The Met Office yesterday warned of the likelihood of icy patches on “untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths” in West Yorkshire early this morning. Heavy and persistent rain is also forecast for virtually the whole of tomorrow. A spokesman for the Met Office said: “Please be aware of the possibility of localised flooding and minor travel disruption.”

Motorists were left cursing Storm Doris yesterday afternoon when gusts of up to 50mph forced the closure of roads near Leeds city centre’s wind tunnel-plagued Bridgewater Place building.

A fallen tree also caused problems for drivers between Calverley and Greengates.

A list of road routes where motorists were urged by the Highways Agency to take extra care included the M1 between Crigglestone and Dewsbury and the M62 between Normanton and Pontefract.

On the railways, Virgin Trains East Coast advised customers against travelling at all yesterday, with services cancelled or delayed by up to 100 minutes. Northern and TransPennine Express trains were also affected by the winds. A spokeswoman for Leeds Bradford Airport said the weather had caused “very minimal disruption” to flights at the UK’s highest airport.

l A woman died when she was hit by a dislodged section of roof “the size of a coffee table” in Wolverhampton just before midday yesterday.

The winds also toppled a double-decker bus onto its side in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. The UK’s top wind speed of 94mph was recorded in Capel Curig, North Wales.