LONDON: Tens of thousands of people across Britain and Ireland were without power on Monday after Storm Isha lashed the countries with strong winds and heavy rain, leaving two people dead.

Gusts of 99 miles per hour (159 kilometres per hour) were recorded in northeast England as the whole of Britain was subject to weather warnings for its ninth named storm since September.

The high winds felled three trees and damaged several others at a site in Northern Ireland made famous by the hit fantasy TV series “Game of Thrones”. “This is another blow to the Dark Hedges,” said Mervyn Storey, chairman of the preservation trust at the County Antrim site, now a major tourist destination thanks to the HBO drama.

Isha follows Storm Henk, which crashed into Britain earlier this month, causing widespread flooding and disruption to train services and roads. More strong winds and heavy rain are forecast on Tuesday and Wednesday as the next storm of the season, Jocelyn, barrels in. Climatologists say climate change is causing winters in the region to be warmer and wetter, increasing the likelihood of extreme weather events.

In Ireland, which was badly hit by Isha, at least 235,000 homes endured power cuts, according to energy provider ESB. Another 45,000 people were without electricity in Northern Ireland, where a motorist died on Sunday night.

Several thousand properties went dark in northwest England and Wales, and several people had to be rescued from their cars in northern England when a swollen river broke its banks. Felled trees in Scotland closed major roads, while debris and floods forced the cancellation of all Monday morning rush-hour trains in the country.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2024