UK Weather: Storm Antoni travel updates as Cornwall trains cancelled & houses evacuated amid Yorkshire floods

Travel disruption and train cancellations have been announced today after Storm Antoni hit parts of the UK yesterday (August 5) in what has been dubbed ‘the biggest storm of the year.’ The Met Office issued several weather warnings across the country as strong winds and heavy rain were expected to hit parts including the South West of England and Northern Ireland.

Today, train lines including Great Western Railway have announced trains have been stopped for a short period due to “severe weather.” A statement from GWR reads: "Due to severe weather earlier disruption is expected until 11:05 pm. Train services between St Erth and St Ives will be cancelled."

Meanwhile, National Rail estimates delays will continue until 10.45 am.

Parts of Yorkshire were also badly affected by torrential rain as several homes were evacuated due to flooding. One resident, Paul Jones-King, 47, who has lived in Loftus, North Yorkshire, for 18 years, said he is “angry” and “really frustrated” after his home was flooded on Saturday due to the town’s drainage system – which he said is “not able to cope” with heavy rainfall.

Mr Jones-King said this is the second time in three years that the town has suffered from flooding due to heavy rain. Four flood alerts have also been issued in Yorkshire today, after floods hit the popular seaside resort of Whitby and North Yorkshire yesterday (August 5).

Images show cars submerged in water and the Whitby Traction Engine Rally 2023 was also called off due to the weather.

However, the Met Office predicts the weather to improve next week, with temperatures reaching 27 degrees in the South East on Thursday.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Steve Willington said: “For the latter half of next week, there are some signals of a shift in the jet stream which may allow for high pressure to build in for southern areas of the UK, increasing the likelihood of some drier weather for a time.

“However, at this range, the details are quite uncertain and there’s still a chance of some rain for areas further north. As always, details will become clearer with a shorter lead time.”

Storm Antoni RAC travel advice

The RAC’s Rod Dennis said: “We expect Saturday to be the worst day on the roads of the summer so far, especially for anyone in the southwest of England – and that’s a lot of people as our research shows it’s the most popular part of the country for leisure trips by car this year.

“Conditions will be atrocious with a wholly unpleasant mix of very strong winds and locally intense rainfall. The best advice is to slow down significantly to stay safe and avoid exposed moorland and coastal routes until the storm passes. Drivers towing caravans and trailers need to be particularly careful in these conditions and those with boxes and bikes on the roof should double-check they’re secured properly.

“Drivers should also watch out for fallen trees and be prepared for the disruption they cause.

“Nationally, we estimate around 4m drivers will be using the roads for leisure journeys across the whole weekend.”

Malcolm Bell, Executive Chair of Visit Cornwall said: “All campers should ask the campsite operator for advice and guidance on their equipment and location, to ensure they are best equipped to cope with the unseasonal gale force winds, and in some exceptional cases such as on very exposed sites that may mean packing away for the duration of the gales.”

Storm Antoni is the first storm named by the Met Office in this storm naming season, though the names Otto in February and Noa in April were adopted by the Met Office earlier this year as they were named by international partners and impacted the UK.