By Eric King-
Storm Aileen battered many parts of the UK on Tuesday night and Wednesday mrning as strong winds affected travel and power.
Strong winds between 55 and 65mph hit many parts of the UK, but the damage was nowhere as bad as that in America where there was loss of life. There was quite a coincidence in the closeness of time between the storm in the Uk and the Hurricane in America, both occuring within days of each other. However, the official word is that there is connection between the two incidences. Strong warnings were given to motorists as trees were brought down by the strong forces of the wind in Staffordshire, Cheshire, and Gloucesteshire. The winds were so strong that they left over 7,000 people without power, mainly in the North of England. In Wales, about 60,000 homes were left without power after the mighty storm spread its strength across the country.
At its peak, at The Needles in Isle of Wight, Aileen brought winds of 83mph. In Mumbles, South Wales, gusts hit 74mph and at Heathrow they reached 63mph.Western Power Distribution, serving the Midlands, South Wales and the South West, had to restore power to 30,000 customers during the night. Another 20,000 people had their power interrupted for short periods.
NETHERLANDS
The storm is now heading for the Netherlands and was really not much different from the yearly dose of storms Britain has become familiar with. Storms in the Uk have never been as bad as the monstrous hurricanes that violently attack our friends in America. Natural disasters have become the norm in the United States for years;never really shocking its residents who have lived through such disasters through the ages. America’s recent Hurricane Irma was so terrible that streets were engulfed in water, eerily similar to a sea or river. Residents near sites of trees battered by the storm took pleasure in taking pictures to share on social media . It’s nothing new or strange, but can be very devastating if one of those trees were to fall on a moving vehicle and cause damage.
Power cut can be disorientating, preventing households from ironing clothes, cooking food, or even basic every day engagements like watching television and heating up the shower for a fresh up. It is still miles better than having to flee one’s home to another city whilst viewing the damage done on television and hearing of lives lost because of an unnatural cause. Storm Aileen brought strong winds felt in most parts of the Uk, but many parts were unaffected in real terms. Most parts of London and Essex were not affected by power cuts or felled trees on streets or motorways. The strong winds were to many, just another occassion of heavy winds similar to heavy rain expected during wintery periods in the UK.
Summer is over in many people’s minds , though few were holding on to the hope of an Indian summer after glimpses of sunshine showed up last weekend at the end of the first weekend. St0rm Aileen would have dashed any hopes left of a late summer, as we prepare for winter which is just at the doors.