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Wednesday 8 December 2021

Storm Barra: Wales sees power cuts and ferry cancellations




Strong winds from Storm Barra have brought power cuts and forced ferry services to be cancelled in Wales.

Wind speeds of 86mph (138km/h) have been recorded in Aberdaron, Gwynedd, topping the highest recorded during Storm Arwen the weekend before last.

Western Power Distribution (WPD) reported 491 homes without power in Wales. About 70 train services have also been cancelled due to the storm.

The weather warning lasts until 18:00 GMT on Wednesday in parts of Wales.

It covers Bridgend, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Swansea and Vale of Glamorgan.

The Met Office described the wind as a “violent storm force” after the strongest gust recorded during Storm Arwen was 81mph at Aberporth, Ceredigion.

Part of the roof of Ysgol Bryngwyn in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, was damaged at about 16:00 GMT, when most pupils had already left for the day.

The school said nobody was injured and everyone still on site were “evacuated calmly”. But the school will be closed on Wednesday.

Betsi Cadwaladr health board announced that opening times of its Covid testing sites may be affected, and warned testing sites listed on its website could close at short notice.

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Of the homes without power Western Power Distribution said 251 were in Monkswood, Monmouthshire; 188 in Pontyates, Carmarthenshire; 34 in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire; there 29 were in Caldicot, Monmouthshire; 26 in Abercraf, Powys; and 3 in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.

WPD said it was “business as usual” and engineering staff were on standby if needed.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) issued nine flood warnings across the country in tidal areas at Newgale, Dale, Amroth, Cardigan, Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Clarach Bay, Pendine and Carmarthen Bay Holiday Park in Kidwelly.

A flood warning was announced for low-lying and coastal properties between Ynyslas and Brynowen in Borth, Ceredigion.

Glanlerry Caravan Park and Animalarium in Ceredigion was at risk from the River Leri with waves expected to break over the sea defences in that area between 21:15 and 23:45.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has seven flood alerts in force on the north Wales coast, west Anglesey coastline, Llyn Peninsula and Cardigan Bay coastline, Ceredigion coast between Clarach and Cardigan, Pembrokeshire coast, Carmarthenshire coast, the tidal area at Crofty and Swansea Bay and the Gower coast.

Pembrokeshire council urged the public to avoid its coastal areas, and large waves are expected to surge during high tide at 20:30 in Milford Haven.

Wind warning mapIMAGE SOURCE,MET OFFICE
Image caption,

The yellow warning for wind covers much of the country on Tuesday

What’s happening on the roads?

A fallen tree has partially blocked the A4075 Holyland Road in Pembrokeshire. There has also been a fallen tree on the A5 Holyhead Road, near the recycling centre.

The A487 at Newgale will also be closed in both directions from 19:45 and could remain closed overnight, Pembrokeshire council warned.

Gwent Police announced the A469 in Pengam, Caerphilly, was closed due to flooding.

The A477 Cleddau Bridge in Pembrokeshire closed to all vehicles due to the high winds and may remain shut into Wednesday morning.

The B5429 in Denbigh, Denbighshire, closed between Llandyrnog and Bodafri due to fallen trees and powerlines.

Storm Arwen caused havoc for several days after it struck last weekend, leaving thousands without power, roads blocked and rail services suspended.

How have railway lines been affected?

More than 100 train services in Wales were cancelled or disrupted.

The Transport for Wales (TfW) website shows services from Holyhead to Milford Haven affected by the weather.

TfW reports 67 train services have been cancelled and another 67 have been altered due to the storm.

Those hit hardest are operating between west Wales and Cardiff, and across north Wales. A revised train timetable has been in place since 06:00 on Tuesday until the end of services on Wednesday.

“A significant amount of our services will either operate at different times, take much longer to reach destinations, or may not operate at all,” said planning director Colin Lea.

The storm also forced the closure of events, including Amman Valley Christmas experience in Brynamman.

Amman Valley Christmas experience in Brynamman
Image caption,

Amman Valley Christmas experience will not go ahead because of Storm Barra

Met Office meteorologist Rachel Ayers told BBC Radio Wales there could be “severe coastal gales” that could lead to some “temporary coastal damage”.

“For inland there could be similar impact but we are not expecting quite such strong gusts,” she said.

She warned there was a chance of some snow, particularly in Snowdonia.

One woman narrowly avoiding a falling tree during Storm Arwen in November

The Met Office website said there could also be delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport and coastal communities could be affected by spray and large waves.

Ferry services between Rosslare and Fishguard were cancelled.

NRW warned people to “be cautious of weakened trees in our forests and of high waves along the coast”.

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Biden and Putin hold talks amid Russia-Ukraine tensions



US President Joe Biden is holding rare talks by video link with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, amid tensions on Ukraine’s eastern frontier.

Few expect a breakthrough, but Moscow says talks are needed as tensions in Europe are “off the scale”.

Russia has moved thousands of troops to the border, but insists it has no intention of attacking Ukraine.

It wants guarantees Ukraine will not join Nato, but Western powers say Kyiv’s sovereignty should be respected.

The talks began at 10:07 US Eastern time (15:07 GMT; 18:07 Moscow time), the White House said.

They are being held on a secure video link set up under previous administrations but never used before, Russian news agency Tass said.

Video footage of the opening moments showed friendly greetings between the US and Russian leaders.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the talks would last “as long as necessary” and there was no fixed time limit.

Mr Putin is holding the talks from his residence in the southern resort of Sochi, according to Tass.

Mr Biden and Mr Putin last met in person in Switzerland in June, but made little progress other than to agree to send their ambassadors back and begin a dialogue on nuclear arms control.

In a conference call on Monday night, the White House said the leaders of the US, UK, France, Germany and Italy had formed a joint strategy “to impose significant and severe harm on the Russian economy” should Russia launch an invasion.

Mr Biden is expected to speak to the four European leaders again after his talks with Mr Putin.

ANALYSIS: Is Russia preparing to invade Ukraine?
Possible measures include restrictions on Russia’s banks converting roubles into foreign currencies, or even disconnecting Russia from the Swift global financial payment system, reports say.

Russia wants guarantees that Ukraine will not try to seize areas captured by Russian-backed separatists in 2014 and has warned the West not to cross “red lines” by adding Ukraine to Nato’s military alliance.

More than 90,000 Russian troops are believed to be massed near Ukraine’s borders.

Russian troop build-up: View from Ukraine front line
A large part of the recent Russian military build-up is in Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine and then annexed in 2014.

Troops are also gathering near Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, the name for parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions which are under the control of Russian-backed separatists.

Ukrainian officials have said Moscow could be planning a military offensive at the end of January.

More than 14,000 people have lost their lives in seven years of conflict since Russian-backed forces seized large areas of Ukraine’s east.




Eastern Ukraine map
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Students arrested over schoolboy’s death in Nigeria


Three students have been arrested in connection to the death of 12-year-old schoolboy Sylvester Oromoni at a boarding college in Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos.


Police say two other students also wanted for alleged assault are on the run.

The Lagos state Police Commissioner Hakeem Odumosu told local media that the principal, house masters and other school officials are assisting the security agency with the investigation.

The Oromoni family is accusing five senior students of Dowen College of allegedly torturing their son for refusing to join a cult group.

More than 200,000 people have signed online petitions demanding justice for Sylvester.

#JusticeForSylvester continues to trend on Twitter.

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