At least five people died as Storm Bert swept across the United Kingdom over the weekend, causing severe flooding, disrupting travel, and cutting off power for thousands, CNN reported. The storm brought relentless rainfall and powerful winds, causing widespread destruction across the region.
In Wales, one of the hardest-hit areas, rivers overflowed and submerged streets, homes, and vehicles.
Dramatic images from Pontypridd captured residents wading through waist-high water, while rescuers used inflatable rafts to save pets and stranded locals. Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan called the floods “absolutely devastating.”
In Winchester in southwest England, a falling tree crushed a car on Saturday, killing a man in his 60s. In Northamptonshire, a crash claimed the life of a man in his 40s. Further north in West Yorkshire, a 34-year-old man died in a single-vehicle accident early Saturday morning.
In northern Wales, rescuers found the body of a missing dog walker swept away by floodwaters, according to local reports.
Meanwhile, an 80-year-old man drowned after his car entered deep water in Lancashire. Authorities are investigating whether these incidents are directly linked to the storm.
At London’s Heathrow Airport, Storm Bert grounded more than 300 flights over the weekend and delayed nearly 1,200 others. Train services were in utter chaos as routes connecting London and Swansea, Exeter and Okehampton, and northern cities such as Lancaster, York, and Sheffield were canceled or severely delayed.
Power outages spread through England and Scotland, with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks reporting widespread interruptions.
The UK’s Met Office recorded over 130mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours and has issued multiple warnings for heavy rain and strong winds in England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland.
More than 60 flood warnings remain active in Wales, where emergency services are struggling to keep up with calls. While the storm is expected to move northeast by Tuesday, forecasters predict that more rain and gusty winds could persist in southern parts of the country through Wednesday.