Pub's big storm loss as thousands without power

Pub landlord Nils Kirk says the power cut after Storm Darragh has been a "massive knock" to the business

A pub landlord says a power cut during Storm Darragh has cost the business at least £15,000 so far.

Nils Kirk, who runs The Ancient Briton pub in Powys, said he was "gutted" to have lost nearly 300 reservations at their busiest time of the year, after the power outage on Saturday.

The pub is one of thousands of businesses and homes in Wales which remain without power after Storm Darragh swept across large parts of the UK at the weekend.

"This is the time of year we need to make money", he said, adding that this came at an already difficult time for the hospitality industry due to the rise in utility costs.

"It's a massive knock. I'm gutted for the staff, they need money for Christmas," he added.

Mr Kirk said the pub in Penycae, Ystradgynlais, had 150 people booked in for lunch and Christmas parties on Saturday and another 130 on Sunday.

The power cut also meant that the pub's phone and mobile phone signal were out of action, with staff struggling to get hold of customers.

A caravan at a site in Carmarthenshire was crushed by a large tree brought down during Storm Darragh

Winds of up to 93mph (150km/h) battered large parts of the country, and a rare red warning was in place for much of the coast on Saturday.

Cardiff council said the storm brought down more trees in the city in one night than over the past 20 years, with reports of more than 189 affected.

As of 22:00 GMT, the Wales total without power is 21,422. National Grid said there are 17,226 properties without power across south and mid Wales, with Scottish Power reporting about 4,196 outages across north and mid Wales.

Welsh Water reported that some residents in the Aberystwyth, Rhayader and Llandrindod Wells area of Powys were without water or with low pressure due to power cuts affecting pumps. It said these issues are expected to be fixed later.

There has been widespread flooding in Builth Wells, Powys

Some train services and ferry sailings have also been affected, with Holyhead Port closed and scheduled sailings to Dublin cancelled "due to infrastructure weather damage".

A port spokesperson said a "thorough assessment" was being carried out after the damage on Saturday morning and it is expected to remain closed until 18:00 on Tuesday at the earliest.

A number of shipping containers at a site in Dowlais Top, Merthyr Tydfil, were overturned by the storm

Transport for Wales (TfW) said all railway lines were blocked on 11 routes, including Swansea to Milford Haven, Swansea to Shrewsbury, and Chester to Holyhead.

TfW also warned people to check before they travel on a number of routes.

National Rail Enquiries said "services may be busier than normal today and experience severe overcrowding".

Some SP Energy Network customers in north and mid Wales have been told their power will not be restored until 21:00 GMT

Hawarden High School in Flintshire is closed for structural assessment after the gable end of the listed building collapsed during the storm

School closures

Dozens of schools across Wales were closed or partially closed, including in Bridgend, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Gwynedd, Anglesey and Flintshire.

Ceredigion council said its teams had been out clearing trees on main roads over the weekend, advising that it may be some time before they are able to clear other roads.

It also opened a number of drop-in centres where those without power can have showers, charge phones and keep warm.

Huw Rees says when you are on dialysis or have kidney problems, "the cold is a big deal - you're always cold"

One of those affected by the loss of power is fashion presenter Huw "Fash" Rees, who is dependent on electricity to receive kidney dialysis.

Mr Rees, from Brynamman, Carmarthenshire, told BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast that he had been without power all weekend and he had to go to hospital on Sunday night to have blood tests, followed by dialysis on Monday.

"When you don't get dialysis, all the toxins stay in the body," he said.

Mr Rees said he was "very hopeful" the electricity supply would return soon.

He called for better planning for people who depend on power supplies for their health, saying he had not yet received a call from the electricity board offering help, even though he is on a priority list because he is vulnerable.

Llandudno Pier, which is the longest in Wales, was severely damaged during the storm

Kris Meredith, owner of The Crystal Hut on Llandudno Pier, in Conwy county, said "it was heartbreaking to watch" as the pier suffered severe damage in the storm.

He said part of the roof of his hut had been ripped off and the hut that overturned was leaning against it.

Mr Meredith said he was not yet able to visit the hut to inspect the damage.

"We've just got to sit there like everybody else and wait and hope and pray that, basically, everything will be okay and that's been one of the hardest things to do," he said.