Severe weather in the form of yellow wind and rain warnings rocked Devon and Cornwall, causing disruption across a range of events, rail services, and attractions. Reports confirmed that the Torbay half marathon and 10km (6.2 miles) races were called off over concerns of safety, along with the closure of several tourist sites for the day. The strong winds were predicted to peak at 60mph in some areas. Great Western Railway (GWR) suspended its rail services when two trains carrying passengers were “stranded” between Exeter and Plymouth, with one at Teignmouth and another at Dawlish, and the cause was unknown.
GWR disclosed that it had closed down the lines connecting Exeter St David’s and Penzance. According to a GWR spokesman, “It’s not yet known why, and Hitachi will need to investigate the cause of any issues to those trains. Our priority is getting passengers moved to the nearest station and onwards to complete their journey.” The company stated that one of its services, the 12.36 Paddington to Paignton train, had moved back to Newton Abbot by 20.30, and the other service, the 13.00 Cardiff to Penzance train, was also underway to Newton Abbot to take customers off. The spokesman advised passengers not to travel and confirmed that their tickets for the present day would be valid the following day.
The weather caused floods in various areas including River Axe, Rivers Otter and Sid, Start Point and Dawlish Warren, and between Dawlish Warren and Seaton. The wind warning was in place until 23.59 BST on Sunday, while the rain warning was supposed to stop on 09:00 on Monday morning. A flood warning was issued for the same day for North Wales and north-western England between 00.30 and 20:00, and the other for eastern England between 08:00 on Monday and 03:00 on Tuesday.
The list of events cancelled due to the unfavourable weather was extensive, including ParkLive in Falmouth, Woolacombe beach clean, Torpoint Street Market, and Minack Theatre, which released a social media statement, informing attendees to contact them directly. North Devon Yacht Club said, “Sunday’s race is cancelled as there is a severe weather warning of gusts to 50mph. Tie your boats down and hold onto your hats!” Photographer Greg Martin captured the fierce coastal atmosphere, documenting photos of foamy waves collision with a pier in Cornwall. He said, “It’s a reminder for us all that winter is just around the corner.”
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