UK hit with high winds as Storm Herminia rolls in

Following Storm "Eunice," parts of the UK have issued yellow warnings for wind and heavy rain as a new storm, "Hermine," approaches. The UK Met Office stated that this storm, which initially hit parts of Spain and France, could cause injuries and even endanger lives. Storm "Eunice" struck the UK earlier this week, resulting in two fatalities.

While most weather warnings cover much of England, heavy rainfall is also expected in Northern Ireland, Wales, and southern Scotland on Monday. The strong winds brought by the new storm have already caused power outages for thousands of homes in southwest England, with reports of flooding. The strongest winds are occurring in the southern and western regions of the UK, areas that largely avoided the impact of Storm "Eunice."

Thousands of homes in Devon and Cornwall have lost power, and there are reports of flooding and fallen trees on several roads in southwest England. Authorities are urging residents to stay away from the coast due to large waves. Dozens of flood warnings and alerts have been issued for southern and central England. Flooding has also disrupted some transportation routes.

Flooding between Par and Newquay in Cornwall blocked a railway line, causing train cancellations between the two stations on Sunday morning, though service was later restored. Some flights at Cornwall Airport Newquay and Exeter Airport were delayed, canceled, or diverted. Gusts of 70 mph (112 km/h) or higher are expected near exposed coasts, while inland areas are expected to see gusts of 50 mph. A gust of 83 mph was recorded at Berry Head in Devon on Sunday morning.

There is also a possibility of a brief but stronger surge of winds moving north into England overnight into Monday. Heavy rain is expected across England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and southern Scotland, with 10-20mm (almost 1 inch) of rain expected on Sunday. This is expected to continue into Monday, with an increased risk of flooding in southern, Welsh, and central England as the ground in many areas is already saturated after "Eunice."

Storm "Hermine" was named by the Spanish meteorological agency (Aemet) on Friday. Heavy rain and high winds hit the north of the country, with gusts recorded at over 62 mph. Flooding from the storm also submerged cars and buildings in western France. "Hermine" is not strong enough over the UK to be named a storm by the UK Met Office, unlike the more powerful "Eunice," which caused damage and disruption and triggered several rare red weather warnings.

The UK Met Office said that "Eunice" was "the strongest storm to hit the UK in at least 10 years." On Friday, two pedestrians were killed when they were hit by falling trees that had been blown onto cars. Thousands of homes across the UK remained without power on Sunday after "Eunice" caused widespread damage to power infrastructure in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. At the height of the storm, almost one million homes across the British Isles lost power, and many roads and railways were blocked.