Storm Dudley Leeds: Northern service suspended, hour by hour forecast and LNER issues travel advice

Leeds has been battered by strong winds and rain overnight as Storm Dudley caused power cuts and travel disruption across the UK.
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And there's more to come as Storm Eunice arrives in the early hours tomorrow, bringing more strong winds and the potential for snow and ice in some areas. Follow our live blog below and refresh the page for the latest on the aftermath of the first storm and the advice you need to know about ahead of the second.

Storm Eunice: Power cuts, Leeds flights diverted, cladding blown off building

Gusts of more than 80mph as Storm Dudley hit UK

The UK faced strong winds and heavy rain on last night, causing power cuts and travel disruption before a second storm arrives tomorrow.

The Met Office had issued an amber warning for strong winds covering central Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and northern England above Hull over the evening, with yellow wind warnings in place as far south as Birmingham.

As Storm Dudley moved in during the afternoon, Capel Curig in Wales experienced gusts of up to 81mph. Emley Moor near Huddersfield saw 74mph winds, while Drumalbin in Scotland was hit by 71mph gales.

It comes ahead of Storm Eunice, with London North East Railway (LNER) warning customers with tickets for journeys between York and Leeds and London King's Cross tomorrow to move them to today instead due to expected disruption and damage.

Hour by hour forecast for Leeds

Here’s how the forecast for the rest of the day is looking. Wind speeds today are expected to range between 34mph and 37mph this morning, before easing further this afternoon.

7am - Light showers, 6C

8am - Light showers, 6C

9am - Sunny , 6C

10am - Sunny intervals, 6C

11am - Cloudy, 7C

noon - Sunny intervals, 7C

1pm - Light shower, 7C

2pm - Light rain, 6C

3pm - Light rain, 5C

4pm - Light shower, 5C

5pm - Cloudy, 5C

6pm - Light shower, 5C

7pm - Cloudy, 5C

8pm - Cloudy, 5C

9pm - Cloudy, 5C

10pm - Cloudy, 5C

11pm - Cloudy, 5C

Restrictions for high sided vehicles easing

Highways England says all restrictions to high sided and vulnerable vehicles have been lifted on the M62 Ouse Bridge in both directions between J36 and J37.

But it adds that strong winds remain in the area following Storm Dudley so drivers should take care on journeys today.

How to report fallen trees

As it grows lighter and more people set out for the day, these are the key numbers you need if come across fallen trees on your travels.

West Yorkshire Police’s Customer Management Centre, which takes 999 calls, has shared these numbers for reporting forestry emergencies.

  • Leeds - 0113 376 0499
  • Wakefield- 0345 850 6506
  • Kirklees - 01484 414909
  • Calderdale - 01422 288000
  • Bradford - 01274 431000

Services between Leeds and Skipton suspended

National Rail is reporting continued disruption to some routes this morning, with services between Leeds and Skipton currently suspended.

It’s due to a tree caught in the overhead wires in the Keighley area. As a result of this, all lines are currently blocked.

It says a replacement road transport was being sourced to run between Shipley and Skipton from the start of service.

Disruption is expected to continue until 3pm today.

LNER urges passengers not to travel on Friday as Leeds service reduced

Rail operator LNER is urging passengers not to travel on Friday as Storm Eunice is expected to bring severe weather conditions across the UK.

It says: “Our trains will be most impacted by the severe weather in the southern parts of our route (south of York/Leeds) and as a result we will be running a reduced service between London King’s Cross and York/Leeds. We expect these trains to be extremely busy and subject to short notice cancellations and alterations.

“At present the weather is not forecasted to affect our route north of York so we still plan to run services between York and Newcastle/ Scotland. However, please check before you travel as this is subject to change at short notice.

“Customers with tickets dated for travel on Friday 18 February will be able to use these tickets to travel on Thursday 17 February instead. We strongly advise you to reserve a seat before you travel, and please travel as close to the time shown on your original ticket as possible.

“Please travel as close to the time on your ticket as possible. Please note that we highly recommend that you make a reservation before travelling.”

Head to the LNER website to make reservations or to seek a refund if you are unable to travel today instead.

Met Office shares stats on Storm Dudley wind speeds

1,000 homes still without power

Thousands of homes have been left without power after Storm Dudley swept through parts of the UK.

Northern Powergrid said 1,000 properties still had no lights on this morning due to the weather.

“Our teams have restored power to some 19,000 homes and businesses impacted by Storm Dudley, and we are working to get the lights back on for around 1,000 properties still affected,” a spokesperson said.

On Wednesday evening at 9pm, around 4,000 people were thought to still be without power. About 14,000 customers were originally affected by the weather but 10,000 had been reconnected.

Vaccination centre closed today

A reminder that the Elland Road NHS Vaccination centre is closed today and tomorrow amid safety concerns related to the weather.

NHS Leeds said yesterday that it was in the process of contacting everyone who had appointments for these days to help them get those rearranged as the centre would be shut.

Jabs that were booked for Wednesday did go ahead but people arriving there were redirected to teams who had set up vaccination stations in Billy’s Bar in the neighbouring stadium.

Met Office updates Storm Eunice warning for region

The Met Office has updated its yellow weather warning for Yorkshire and the Humber ahead of the arrival of Storm Eunice tomorrow.

The warning for strong winds begins at 7am on Friday and is currently due to expire at 6pm.

What to expect

  • There is a chance of some damage to trees and also perhaps to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
  • There is a chance of longer journey times or cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected
  • There is a chance that some roads and bridges could close
  • There is a small chance that power cuts may occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
  • There is a small chance that injuries could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties

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