Storm Bert wreaked havoc across Britain and Ireland on Saturday, bringing snow, heavy rain, and powerful winds that left one person dead and caused widespread travel disruptions and

power outages.

In southern England, a man in his 60s tragically lost his life after a tree fell on a car on the A34 highway, according to local police. Meanwhile, transport infrastructure across the UK faced severe challenges. Snow briefly closed the runway at Newcastle Airport in northeast England, delaying flights, while heavy winds forced the closure of the Severn Bridge, a critical connection between Wales and England, as reported by National Highways. In Scotland, adverse weather led to the suspension of some train services, ScotRail confirmed on X (formerly Twitter).

Roads across northern parts of the UK were blanketed in snow, leaving vehicles stranded and disrupting travel plans. Met Office Chief Meteorologist Jason Kelly described the storm as a "multi-hazard event," warning that its impact of snow, rain, and strong winds would likely persist through the weekend.

Ireland also bore the brunt of the storm, with torrential rain causing severe flooding along the west coast. Roads in counties Cork and Galway became impassable as the Irish Meteorological Service issued its highest-level "status red" warning for rain. In Donegal’s coastal town of Killybegs, floodwaters rose to the tops of parked cars.

The storm’s ferocity left 60,000 homes, farms, and businesses without electricity in Ireland, with outages concentrated in the west and northwest. ESB Networks, Ireland’s main power provider, attributed the disruptions to high winds that battered the region overnight.

Storm Bert’s widespread impact has prompted warnings to exercise caution as efforts to restore normalcy continue across affected areas. Photo by Chris Denny, Wikimedia commons.