Storm Rachel to continue blasting UK through the weekend

Brits can expect the ‘cold snap’ to continue through the weekend as Storm Rachel wreaks havoc.

17:47 16 January 2015

Storm Rachel isn’t done wreaking havoc in some parts of the UK and Brits can expect the ‘cold snap’ to continue through the weekend. As of Friday, one man has already died while at least three people were injured due to gales and heavy rain. In addition, power supplies in some areas had to be cut, affecting thousands of homes.

The extreme weather also led to road closures, bridge restrictions, as well as cancelled rail services.

In Scotland, dozens of drivers were stranded overnight on the A9 route to the Highlands due to the 5ft deep snow. Meanwhile, a van driver died in County Antrim in Northern Ireland after a tree fell on top of his vehicle.

By Friday, there are about 5,000 businesses and homes without power in Northern Ireland as engineers worked to reconnect 2,100 properties in Galloway and Dumfries.

Dr Angie Bone of the extreme events team at Public Health England warned the public against the cold weather.

“Cold does kill, even in places where the temperatures aren't at their lowest,” she said.

“Most of our advice on keeping warm in cold weather may seem like common sense, but it's important that we make the point that people should think about how cold can affect them.

"This is also a good time to think about how the bad weather may affect your friends and family, particularly if they are older or very young or have pre-existing health conditions. These groups can be particularly vulnerable to the ill-effects of cold so think now what you could do to help."