We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Father-of-four Francis Lagan, believed to be in his 40s, is understood to have been travelling with his wife and children when strong winds uprooted a tree which struck their vehicle. St Mary’s Primary School in Maghera, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, where Mr Lagan was head teacher, said: “It is with great pain and sadness this evening that I have to inform you of the untimely death of our much-loved principal Mr Lagan. May his gentle soul rest in peace.”

Another man was killed by a falling tree in Ambleside, Cumbria, at around 11pm on Friday.

And in Aberdeenshire, a driver aged 35 died when a tree fell on his car on the B977 at around 5pm on Friday. There, police revealed that officers called to the incident returned to their van to discover it crushed by another fallen tree. No one was injured.

Meanwhile, in Chilcompton, Somerset, a driver was taken to hospital with head injuries after a tree toppled on his van.

The incidents came after the Met Office issued a red warning for wind for parts of North East England and yellow warnings across large swathes of the country.

Police warned people not to travel “under any circumstances” in areas covered by the red warning.

Snow fell across Scotland and parts of England, with flurries continuing throughout yesterday.

Drinkers at Britain’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn in Richmond, Yorkshire, were stranded and had to dig their way out when the building was buried in enormous snowdrifts.

The clubhouse roof of Chester-le-Street Town FC came off in one piece and landed on the pitch. The chairman of the Northern League division two club in County Durham, Joe Burlison, said: “We have got to speak to insurers.

“At the minute we need companies’ help to make the clubhouse water-tight.

“The whole roof came off in one big section and it’s mangled.”

Arwen continued to wreak havoc in the North East. In Sunderland a parked car was pictured under a pile of fallen bricks.

Northern Powergrid said severe gales had caused power cuts for more than 55,000 customers, mainly in the Northumberland, County Durham and Tyne and Wear areas.

Across the country the wind peeled away the side and roof of a building in Bristol.

The weather brought disruption to railway networks with passengers advised to be wary of travelling.

TransPennine Express customers were urged not to travel, with services between Newcastle and Edinburgh cancelled.

There was disruption to South Western Railway services due to “multiple trees and obstructions blocking the railway”, while LNER warned customers not to travel north of York due to “significant damage”.

Roads were also affected, with Dorset Council reporting that trees and power cables had fallen on roads in the area, while road closures were reported more widely in the worst affected parts of northern England and Scotland.

In the North West, more than 120 vehicles were stranded on the M62 for hours after police were forced to close it in both directions between junctions 21 and 22, near Littleborough, due to heavy snow.

A number of councils in Scotland also reported power cuts and thousands of properties in Cumbria and Lancashire were also affected.

In Carmarthenshire, a puppy died after an animal rescue centre had its power knocked out. Ten-day-old Florence became too cold through lack of heating and the centre also suffered major structural damage.

Many Tears Animal Rescue Centre owner Sylvia Van Atta described it as “the most terrible night ever”.

The Met Office said that while temperatures were expected to stay low until Monday, conditions should improve and that the worst was over.

Get the latest three-day weather forecast where you live. Find out by adding your postcode or visit InYourArea

Source: Read Full Article