British Storm "Arwen" Gets UK Storm Season Off To Destructive Start

Police ban crushed by falling trees during Storm Arwen
in the UK

Great Britain is no stranger to wild winter storms blowing in off the North Atlantic, but the first major one of the season was a doozy.  

The storm focused the worst of its fury on Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of  England, where some people have been without power for three days as temperatures fall to well below freezing behind the storm. 

Winds gusting to 90 mph unroofed buildings, collapsed brick walls and tossed down too many trees and power lines to count.  Three people died when trees fell on them. 

Train service in wide areas was canceled, too, because of power outages and trees and debris on train tracks. 

Britain's Met Office (the equivalent of the U.S. National Weather Service) issued a rare red weather warning ahead of the storm for high winds in the northeastern UK.  It was the first red warning since the infamous "Beast From The East" storm of February, 2018.

The Met Office has three levels of warning, yellow, amber and red, which helps judge the severity of a weather risk. A red warning means there will be significant disruptions and life-threatening conditions.   Which meant Arwen was a lot more than the usual British winter storm. 

The storm has departed, but a sharp cold snap descended on Great Britain in its wake. Temperatures fell into the teens in many areas across the north. 

It is forecast to turn milder again in England this week, though more storminess is due Tuesday. The next storm won't be nearly on the same scale as Arwen. 

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