Power restored to 100 remaining homes after storm

  • Published
Image caption,

This huge tree was uprooted in Singleton Park in Swansea on Saturday

Image caption,

This photo shows the sea at Porthcawl

Image caption,

The tree crashed onto a car but the driver managed to free herself and was unharmed

Image caption,

A garage blew onto a house in Beddau near Pontypridd

Image caption,

A tree uprooted in Pendine in Carmarthenshire

Image caption,

The high sea at Mumbles Head near Swansea, where 89 mph gusts were recorded at 16:00 GMT on Saturday afternoon

Image caption,

Little Haven, Pembrokeshire, felt the force of the wind and waves

Engineers have connected all homes hit by power cuts during storm-force winds in Wales.

Winds gusting at up to 89mph (143kph) brought down trees and power lines, leaving 10,000 homes and businesses across south and west Wales without power on Saturday.

The peak of the problem was between 15:00 and 16:00 GMT but around 100 were still cut off on Sunday morning.

Three flood alerts remained in place at 18:50 GMT on Sunday.

The majority of people had their power restored by 21:00 GMT on Saturday.

Dozens of engineers were drafted in the deal with the problem in an area stretching from Pembroke in the west to Chepstow in the east.

'Torn off'

The number of homes without power reduced to around 500 by Saturday night and then to just under 100 overnight.

Media caption,

Video shows stormy sea pounding Aberystwyth coast

Western Power Distribution said all customers had been reconnected.

The highest wind speed was 89mph recorded at Mumbles head near Swansea at 16:00 GMT.

Problems included:

  • The M4 was closed both ways for two hours between Margam and Pyle after a caravan overturned.

  • A tree fell onto a car in Park Street in Bridgend but the driver was reportedly unharmed if shaken.

  • A roof was also blown off a garage onto the house next door at Beddau near Pontypridd, according to South Wales Fire and Rescue.

  • The roof canopy at the main entrance to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend was also damaged with one person treated for a minor injury. The entrance has since reopened.

  • Fallen trees in Bridgend, Cardiff, Llanelli, Swansea, Pembroke, St Nicholas and Upper Boat.

Artist David Pearce, who lives just outside Swansea, said his daughter's 11ft trampoline was blown across the garden in high winds.

"The roof nearly got torn completely off our shed and our daughter's trampoline took off. It smashed her garden swings and ended up in our hedge," he said.

Image caption,

This shows shingle left on Aberystwyth seafront after the waves had crashed over it

The Met Office , externalrecorded strong gusts on coasts around Wales from the Bristol Channel to the Llyn Peninsula.

South Wales Police had received reports of 13 fallen trees in one hour on Saturday afternoon.

Arriva Trains Wales advised passengers not to travel on Saturday evening unless necessary.

Officers from Natural Resources Wales (NRW), external are monitoring sea surge, wind and waves as it could lead to further alerts being issued and possibly tidal flood warnings.

There were nine flood warnings in coastal areas at 08:30 GMT but later this was downgraded to three flood alerts at Swansea and Gower, the upper River Severn and the Vyrnwy catchment in Powys.

For the latest on flood alerts and warnings and how you can prepare go to Natural Resources Wales, external or call Floodline 0845 988 1188.

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.