Storm Ciara: Weather warnings for snow, ice and wind

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Watch to see just how much damage Storm Ciara has caused

Strong winds and heavy rain are affecting people across the UK, as Storm Ciara causes disruption across the country.

Yellow weather warnings for snow, ice and wind are in place for parts of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with gusts of up to 97 miles per hour (mph).

Heavy rain has caused flooding and two people have died as a result of falling trees caused by the storm.

The weather has caused travel disruption with hundreds of flights cancelled across the weekend because of the storm.

Train companies are also expecting disruption, with Network Rail assessing damage to lines. Flooding and debris on the tracks have caused delays and cancellations to many services.

What is a weather warning?

The Met Office has different types of weather warnings to make sure that people stay safe when severe weather hits the UK.

This can include heavy rain, snow, wind, fog and ice.

The warnings have different colours depending on how bad - and potentially dangerous - the weather is. These are yellow, amber and red.

Electricity power lines have also been affected. Engineers have managed to restore electricity to the vast majority of homes, but tens of thousands of people have been left without power overnight.

So far, the storm has resulted in a month and a half's worth of rainfall falling within 24 hours for some parts of the UK.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

In Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire, streets were under several feet of water, with ducks making the most of the weather by coming for a swim

Dozens of homes in Bury, Lancashire, were evacuated and people were taken to safety in a nearby leisure centre after the River Irwell burst its banks. People living there told the BBC that the flooding was worse than floods on Boxing Day in 2015.

Over 250 flood warnings were issued around the UK - meaning that flooding was expected - with more than 200 in England, more than 60 in Scotland, and 17 in Wales.

The storm led to travel disruptions and the cancellation of several public events over the weekend, including Six Nations and Premier League matches.

What's the weather like around the UK?

Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

This huge tree was uprooted on Clapham Common in south London

Northern Ireland and Scotland: A warning for wind and snow is in place for all of Monday.

Northern England: Some areas have been warned to expect snow and ice from 3pm on Monday afternoon.

Cornwall and the south coast of England: A warning for wind is in place from 10am until 7pm.

Image source, PA Media
Image caption,

This trampoline ended up on a train line near Bickley in the London Borough of Bromley

Wales: It's been hit by some of the the strongest winds, with a 93mph gust recorded in Aberdaron, north-west Wales, and 86mph at Capel Curig in Snowdonia.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice will remain in place for much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of the north of England on Tuesday and Wednesday.

How is Storm Ciara affecting other countries?

Image source, AFP
Image caption,

Waves crashed over the coastline at Wimeureux, Pas-de-Calais, in northern France

Storm Ciara hasn't just hit the UK. Severe warnings have been issued across parts of northern Europe as it sweeps across the continent.

High winds and heavy rain have been battering areas of Ireland, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Scandinavia.

But confusingly, the storm has a different name in other countries. In Norway, Storm Ciara is known as Elsa, and in Germany and Switzerland it's called storm Sabine.

In recent years, several national forecasters have adopted the practice of naming large storms to help the public monitor severe weather.

But while Irish, Dutch, French and British have agreed to adopt the same names, Germany and Switzerland have their own separate agreement, as does Norway.