The 95mph storm the Met Office 'MISSED': Weathermen are blasted for saying damaging gales were not severe enough to be named... because they happened at NIGHT

  • Wintry conditions hit parts of Britain this morning sparking fears of travel disruption to rail, road and air travel
  • The Met Office issued warnings issued for snow and ice across much of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales
  • Conditions set to get worse today with storm-force winds gusting at around 95mph tearing across UK
  • Weather bomb named as Fionn in Ireland, David in France and  Friederike in Germany and The Netherlands
  • But the MetOffice said it failed to meet its criteria for levels of disruption to officially become a named storm
  • Have you seen any weather chaos? Send in your photographs to pictures@mailonline.co.uk 

  • Britain was battered by gales gusting to 95mph overnight that downed trees and damaged buildings - but the Met Office insisted the winds were not severe enough to warrant being named as an official winter storm.
    Forecasters sparked confusion by saying the weather system had not been named because it happened at night and therefore had a lower impact on the country.
    Motorists  were faced with disruption in the north with 'persistent and heavy snow' causing standstills on major roads at rush hour after a weather warning was upgraded to severe.
    Storm-force gales of 93mph were recorded at Capel Curig Saws in Wales today, while gusts reached 72mph at London City Airport and Liverpool this morning.
    The extreme weather Britain is experiencing today is not directly caused by Storm Fionn, which has now passed and is making its way across to the rest of western and northern Europe.  The remnants of Storm Fionn is creating low pressure across the UK, bringing severe gales of up to 95mph and heavy snow in the north.
    Today's weather bomb has not been named, after just falling below the criteria needed for a named storm. In France, where it is affecting the north of the country, it has been called Storm David and in The Netherlands and Germany it's been called Friederike. 
    The next one in the UK is due to be called Storm Georgina, but the Met Office insist there is no sign of that in the next few days. 

    Pictures of fallen trees, blocking roads, emerged from across the country, including in Newport and Leicester (pictured)

    Pictures of fallen trees, blocking roads, emerged from across the country, including in Newport and Leicester (pictured)

    Motorists are being warned to stay off the roads today amid fears cars could again become stranded as parts of the UK are also hit by further 'persistent and heavy snow'. Pictured is the A19, near Hartlepool this morning
    Motorists are being warned to stay off the roads today amid fears cars could again become stranded as parts of the UK are also hit by further 'persistent and heavy snow'. Pictured is the A19, near Hartlepool this morning

    At least 30 vehicles are stuck on the A19 northbound, near Hartlepool, as heavy snow showers hit the region
    At least 30 vehicles are stuck on the A19 northbound, near Hartlepool, as heavy snow showers hit the region

    Two lorries are seen stuck on the A19 northbound near Hartlepool, as heavy snow showers hit the region this morning
    Two lorries are seen stuck on the A19 northbound near Hartlepool, as heavy snow showers hit the region this morning

    The roof of a three-storey townhouse has blown off in Coventry overnight. No injuries have been reported from the incident
    The roof of a three-storey townhouse has blown off in Coventry overnight. No injuries have been reported from the incidentAt least 30 vehicles are stuck on the A19 northbound, near Hartlepool, as heavy snow showers hit the region

    At least 30 vehicles are stuck on the A19 northbound, near Hartlepool, as heavy snow showers hit the region


    Severe gales of 93mph were recorded at Capel Curig Saws in Wales today, while gusts reached 72mph at London City Airport and Liverpool this morning
    Severe gales of 93mph were recorded at Capel Curig Saws in Wales today, while gusts reached 72mph at London City Airport and Liverpool this morningPolice are at the scene on the A19 but there is no sign on any movement due to snow ploughs not being able to get through
    Police are at the scene on the A19 but there is no sign on any movement due to snow ploughs not being able to get through
    The Dartford River crossing is closed this morning due to strong winds causing traffic chaos on the M25, A2 and A13

    The Dartford River crossing is closed this morning due to strong winds causing traffic chaos on the M25, A2 and A13
    Met Office forecaster Oli Claydon told MailOnline: 'In the UK we assess the the impact of disruption on the roads, railways and things like that, before naming a storm.
    'This can often be determined by the time of day and how much it is likely to affect people. In Ireland, however, it is measured by wind speeds or volume of rain, snow.
    'We share the same names with Ireland, so although Storm Fionn didn't technically meet our criteria, the next one will be Georgina.' 
    At least 30 vehicles were stuck on the A19 northbound, near Hartlepool, as heavy snow showers hit the region. Police arrived at the scene but there was no sign on any movement for a while due to snow ploughs being unable to get through.
    The Dartford River crossing was closed this morning due to the strong winds. causing traffic chaos on the M25, A2 and A13.
    The roof of a three-storey townhouse has blown off in Coventry overnight. No injuries have been reported from the incident.  Pictures of fallen trees blocking roads, emerged from across the country, including in Newport and Leicester. 
    National Rail reported widespread weather-related delays, including disruption caused by a train hitting a tree near Lower Sydenham in south-east London, and another service colliding with a fence on the line near Sheerness-on-Sea in Kent.
    All Southern Rail services into London have been affected by weather incidents. Southern tickets are being accepted on London buses between Uckfield and Lewes - Tunbridge Wells, on Southeastern services between Tunbridge Wells and London, and on Southern services via Haywards Heath.  
    Passengers were warned of delays and cancellations across routes in areas including Weymouth, Bournemouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Guildford and London Waterloo.
    The problem also damaged signalling equipment at Milford, Surrey, blocking lines, and power supply equipment at Hinchley Wood. 
    A tree also fell onto the line in the Deal area of Kent, while a freight train struck two sheds that had blown on to the railway between Newtown and Welshpool in Wales.

    Lynn Rd in Ely weather chaosLongford Road by Newport
    Trees blew over, blocking roads on Lynn Rd in Ely and Longford Road in Newport as the remnants of Storm Fionn passed through

    In a series of tweets outlining the problems, National Rail said level crossing barriers between Chester and Wrexham had been damaged by high winds, with replacement road transport running between Chester and Shrewsbury.
    Flights between London City Airport and Amsterdam and Frankfurt have been cancelled, as the continent was also affected by bad weather conditions.  
    UK Power Networks said more than 5,000 customers were affected by power cuts in the Geat Yarmouth area with hundreds more homes impacted across the east of England.

    Met Office Spokesman Charlie Powell said the worst of the blustery conditions was over, adding: 'In the last couple of hours the wind speeds have already started to come down significantly.'
    Emergency services across the country received calls about weather-related incidents.
    West Midlands Fire Service said no one was injured when a brick gable was blown off a house in the Stoke Heath area of Coventry.
    Pictures posted on Twitter by crews at the city's Foleshill fire station showed debris on the ground near the three-storey property.
    Derbyshire Police received a large number of calls regarding fallen trees blocking roads. 
    During the night, temperatures dropped at low as minus 7C (19F) in Loch Glascarnoch while snowfalls continued to be topped up.
    Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway recorded 36cm of lying snow, while Spadeadam in Cumbria, which escaped much of the snow on Wednesday, had 23cm, with up to 20cm on Wednesday night alone.
    The Met Office amber weather warning of snow and ice ended at 5am and Police Scotland have downgraded their advice to 'high risk'.
    They said there is a high likelihood of disruption and delays on the roads.
    Superintendent Calum Glenny said: 'Despite some difficult weather conditions in the Dumfries and Galloway area which caused some disruption, the weather was not as severe as was first forecast.
    'Thankfully, a significant number of motorists heeded the warnings which had been issued to avoid travelling on the roads and I'd like to thank them for doing so.'   

    TOP 10 GUSTS TODAY

    93mph Capel Curig Saws

    78mph Aberdaron

    76mph Lake Vyrnwy Saws

    74mph Liscombe

    74mph Wittering

    74mph Aberporth

    72mph Valley

    72mph London City Airport

    72mph Pembrey Sands Samos

    72mph Liverpool Airport 


    Dramatic images show a pile of bricks lying at the bottom of the £145,000 property in Stoke Heath, Coventry after the gable end fell off in 70mph gusts
    Dramatic images show a pile of bricks lying at the bottom of the £145,000 property in Stoke Heath, Coventry after the gable end fell off in 70mph gusts
    A three-storey town house was left with its roof torn off after being battered by the fierce winds of Storm Fionn.
    Dramatic images show a pile of bricks lying at the bottom of the £145,000 property in Stoke Heath, Coventry after the gable end fell off in 70mph gusts.
    Fire crews were called to the house in Burroughs Close at around 5.15am. It's believed that the family who live inside the property were asleep at the time but suffered no injuries.
    Police officers remained at the scene this morning to secure the area.
    Mowa Errabou, 21, was inside the property when the incident happened, and said: 'Our first thought was that it's going to keep collapsing.
    'We heard strong winds throughout the night but we didn't think it would go this far. We kept hearing a few garden gates shut hard, but we weren't expecting that.
    'When we came outside we just saw the damage and thought, 'wow, thank god it happened at night time'.
    'We were thinking of converting the attic into a room not long ago, but thank god we didn't.'
    Tweeting the image, Foleshill Fire Station said: 'Red Watch Foleshill securing area around 3 storey town house, entire gable end which has blow [sic] off in Stoke Heath, Coventry.
    'Luckily no injuries. Be careful out there today.' 

    Meanwhile, damage to overhead power cables blocked lines between Colchester and Ipswich, and Birmingham and Redditch.
    Poor weather conditions also delayed journeys to and from London's King's Cross station after an object was caught in the overhead electric wires between Peterborough and Stevenage.
    It comes after mountain rescue teams were drafted in to check on drivers stuck in their vehicles overnight yesterday when snow and ice brought the M74 in Lanarkshire, Scotland, to a standstill.  Up to 15in (39cm) of the white stuff hit Dumfries and Galloway as heavy snow showers struck the country - and a further 8in is expected in some parts today.
    Forecasters have issued a fresh amber 'be prepared' warning of heavy snow for southern Scotland and northern England today, with disruption and cancellations expected to rail and air travel. 

    Extreme weather across Britain is NOT Storm Fionn

    The extreme weather Britain is experiencing today is not Storm Fionn, which is making its way across the North Sea to Europe.
    The remnants of the storm is creating low pressure across the UK, bringing severe gales of up to 95mph and heavy snow in the north.
    Today's weather bomb has not been named, after just falling below the criteria needed for a named storm. In France, where it is affecting the north of the country, it has been called Storm David and in The Netherlands and Germany it's been called Friederike. 
    The next one is due to be called Storm Georgina in the UK. 
    Before it is named, the combination of both the impact the weather may have, and the likelihood of those impacts occurring, is measured.  

    A storm will be named when it has the potential to cause an amber 'be prepared' or red 'take action' warning
    A storm will be named when it has the potential to cause an amber 'be prepared' or red 'take action' warning
    A storm will be named when it has the potential to cause an amber 'be prepared' or red 'take action' warning.
    Other weather types will also be considered, specifically rain if its impact could lead to flooding as advised by the Environment Agency, SEPA (Scotland) and Natural Resources Wales flood warnings. 
    Therefore 'storms systems' could be named on the basis of impacts from the wind but also include the impacts of rain and snow.
    When the criteria for naming a storm are met, either the Met Office or Met Éireann (Ireland) can name a storm.

    When the criteria for naming a storm are met, either the Met Office or Met Éireann (Ireland) can name a storm
    When the criteria for naming a storm are met, either the Met Office or Met Éireann (Ireland) can name a storm
    Met Office forecaster Oli Claydon told MailOnline: 'In the UK we assess the the impact of disruption on the roads, railways and things like that, before naming a storm. 
    'This can often be determined by the time of day and how much it is likely to affect people. 
    'In Ireland, however, it is measured by wind speeds or volume of rain, snow.
    'We share the same names with Ireland, so although Storm Fionn didn't technically meet our criteria, the next one will be Georgina.'

    Dozens of schools have been closed in parts of Scotland, while public transport has been disrupted by the weather. There are also fears some rural communities are at risk of becoming cut off and left without power.
    All schools in the Scottish Borders were shut yesterday along with 200 in Northern Ireland, while
     commuters across Britain were warned of treacherous conditions following the arrival of Storm Fionn over Ireland.  
    Fionn became the sixth named storm of the season on Tuesday night after smashing Ireland and causing disruption to parts of the UK. 
    Police are also warning against any travel after a weather warning was upgraded to severe. 
    A Met Office forecaster told MailOnline: 'The worst affected areas will be the Scotland - England border. 
    'Southern and far north parts of Scotland could get 1in (3cm) to 3in (8cm) of snow and up to 20cm in higher parts.' 
    Scotland's transport minister Humza Yousaf told MSPs at Holyrood that following a new Met Office amber warning for Wednesday evening, Police Scotland were upgrading their travel warning from stage three to a stage four.
    He said: 'That in practice means that all travel should be avoided on those parts of the trunk road affected by the amber warning, namely south and south-west Scotland for the duration of the amber warning.'
    Police Scotland closed parts of the M74 in Lanarkshire in both directions due to wintry conditions for a number of hours overnight. The road later reopened.
    Elsewhere a runaway lorry slid down a snowy street then crashed into a fence on Tuesday morning in Glenmavis, North Lanarkshire.
    Witness Niki Blackhall, who filmed the incident, said: 'The men in the truck got out to help the crashed cars and the truck slid away. 

    A mountain rescue team helped motorists early this morning who were trapped on the M74 in Lanarkshire in wintry weather
    A mountain rescue team helped motorists early this morning who were trapped on the M74 in Lanarkshire in wintry weather

    A man walks in snowy conditions in Oxspring, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, this morning
    A man walks in snowy conditions in Oxspring, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, this morning

    More than 200 motorists were stranded overnight on the M74 as heavy snow and ice caused treacherous conditions today
    More than 200 motorists were stranded overnight on the M74 as heavy snow and ice caused treacherous conditions today

    'It hit our wall. I'm just glad nobody was injured and the wall stopped the truck from sliding down the hill, as the outcome would have been a lot worse.'
    Mountain rescue teams were drafted in to check on drivers on the M74 overnight, many of whom were stuck in their vehicles for several hours.
    Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has apologised to those stranded in their vehicles overnight. 

    Sam Sykes, a surveyor from Biggar, South Lanarkshire, said he was stuck on the M74 for around 12 hours - from 6pm on Tuesday until around 5.30am on Wednesday.
    The 25-year-old was travelling from Dalry in Ayrshire to Biggar after work.
    He said: 'The length of time, the cold and the uncertainty of when it would start again was the worst part.'
    Mat Jackson, 29, a product manager with Siemens, arrived home in Manchester at around 11.30am on Wednesday - having left Glasgow at 3.20pm on Tuesday. 

    Trucks back up at Red Moss truck stop off the M74 today after motorists spent the night stranded in Crawford
    Trucks back up at Red Moss truck stop off the M74 today after motorists spent the night stranded in Crawford

    Brigid Stitt prepares to go sledding in the snow in Belfast today as Northern Ireland was hit by school closures

    Heavy snow hits Scotland for the second day causing travel chaos, with many cars stuck at Abington Service Station today

    He said: 'Every time gritters went by you thought 'here we go' but the snow just came down harder, it was that thick you couldn't see in front of you.'
    Police declared a critical incident and said that more than 200 people were stranded.
    All schools in the Borders were closed due to the weather while 16 secondary schools, 58 primaries and 44 nurseries in the Highlands were shut.
    Around 20 schools in Dumfries and Galloway and 28 schools and nurseries in South Lanarkshire were also closed

    Huge waves crash into the seafront at Blackpool in Lancashire today, with 80mph gusts expected tonight
    Huge waves crash into the seafront at Blackpool in Lancashire today, with 80mph gusts expected tonight

    Waves crash into the promenade in the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool as Britain is hit by severe weather
    Waves crash into the promenade in the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool as Britain is hit by severe weather

    A car in snowy conditions near Snowden Hill in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, today as the country is hit by the white stuff

    A car in snowy conditions near Snowden Hill in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, today as the country is hit by the white stuff

    Traffic Scotland closed parts of the motorway in Lanarkshire in both directions early this morning due to the wintry conditions
    Traffic Scotland closed parts of the motorway in Lanarkshire in both directions early this morning due to the wintry conditions

    Snow in Shawlands on the south side of Glasgow today as Police Scotland warned of 'extremely poor' travel conditions
    Snow in Shawlands on the south side of Glasgow today as Police Scotland warned of 'extremely poor' travel conditions
    All prelim exams scheduled to take place in North Lanarkshire secondary schools on Thursday have also been postponed.
    Public Health England issued cold weather alerts and health warnings in light of the cold weather, urging people to take extra care.
    The Met Office amber warning advises that travel disruption is likely, with a risk that some vehicles may be stranded.
    The warning, which runs from 9pm on Wednesday until 5am on Thursday, says that 3-8cm of fresh snow is likely to accumulate widely, with up to 20cm over high ground.
    Yellow 'be aware' warnings of snow and ice for much of the country are valid until Friday. 

    Cars, roads, pavements and houses are covered in a layer of snow as the white stuff falls today in Kilsyth, North LanarkshireA mountain rescue team helped motorists early this morning who were trapped on the M74 in Lanarkshire in wintry weather
    Cars, roads, pavements and houses are covered in a layer of snow as the white stuff falls today in Kilsyth, North Lanarkshire

    A passer-by attempts to tow a stuck ambulance in Halifax, West Yorkshire,  last night after snow and ice fell in the area
    A passer-by attempts to tow a stuck ambulance in Halifax, West Yorkshire, last night after snow and ice fell in the area

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