Storm Franklin threatens UK with more travel chaos and power cuts
Parts of the UK are set to be battered by another bout of hurricane-force winds as the newly named Storm Franklin threatens to cause travel chaos and fresh misery for tens of thousands of families left without power after Storm Eunice.
The Met Office said Franklin would bring strong winds and heavy rain across much of the country and gusts of up to 80mph in Northern Ireland in the early hours of Monday.
It is the first time the Met Office has named three storms within a week since its naming system began in 2015.
The latest severe weather event will pose a challenge for engineers attempting to reconnect the 83,000 households in England and Wales who remain without power following Storm Eunice.
A Met Office spokesman said an amber weather warning for strong winds was in place for Northern Ireland between midnight and 7am on Monday, likely to bring power cuts, damage to buildings, flying debris and danger to life.
He added that gusts would widely reach 60-70 mph in Northern Ireland and up to 80mph on the northern coast.
Storm Eunice caused what providers believe was a record national power outage over a 24-hour period on Friday, with about 1.4m homes affected. Four fatalities have been confirmed, with many more injured by flying debris or falling trees.
The Energy Networks Association said approximately 29,000 customers in south-west England remained without power on Sunday morning, as well as 23,000 in the south-east and a further 20,000 in the wider south of England. About 3,000 households remain without power in south Wales.
The recovery effort from Storm Eunice was being hampered by strong winds across most of England and Wales on Sunday, where a yellow weather warning was in place covering most of the next 24 hours.
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