Storm Barra hits South West - GWR trains cancelled, Exeter Winter Wonderland closed

  • Storm Barra across Devon

Heavy wind and rain has caused issues in the South West today (December 7), as a yellow weather warning remains in place due to Storm Barra.

Gusts of 70mph have been recorded at Berry Head in south Devon.

Cornwall also experienced the heaviest rainfall in the country this morning, when Launceston saw 14mm (0.6ins) fall in three hours from 7am.

Trains have been cancelled in Devon due to "adverse weather conditions", while Winter Wonderland in Exeter has been closed due to high winds.

There has also been a cliff fall in Budleigh Salterton, with other coastal areas being battered by high winds and powerful waves.

The Environment Agency also has a flood warning in place along the south coast - between Dorset and Hampshire.

Topsham, on the outskirts of Exeter in Devon, has been hit hard by heavy winds and high tides. Credit: Martin Elcoate

GWR trains cancelled

A broken down train between Dawlish and Exeter St Davids has blocked the line, meaning services are being cancelled.

GWR has advised people not to travel unless their journey is "absolutely essential".

CrossCountry has also said due to "adverse weather conditions in the Dawlish area", its services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth have been cancelled.

Issues on the roads

M48 Severn Bridge - CLOSURE

One lane is closed due to strong winds on M48 Severn Bridge in both directions between J2 A466 Wye Valley Link Road (Chepstow) and J1 A403 (Aust).

M5 - flooding

One lane closed due to flooding on M5 Southbound from J25 A358 (Taunton) to J26 A38 (Wellington).

A39 - Lynmouth

The A39 is closed in both directions for emergency repairs from the B3234 Lynmouth Hill to the B3223 at Hillsford. Traffic monitoring site Inrix says: "Following stormy conditions across the South West of England at the end of November, multiple trees came down."

A46 - Leighterton, Gloucestershire

There are reports of heavy traffic due to a fallen tree, according to Inrix.

Moment large section of Devon cliff falls - people urged to stay away
Storm Barra: Where it's hitting and what weather warnings are in place?

Exeter's Winter Wonderland closed

The Winter Wonderland attraction in Exeter has closed for the day, with refunds being issued for people who had tickets for ice skating and the Santa's grotto.

In a statement, the attraction said it closed due to "heavy wind" but plans to reopen on Wednesday (December 8).

Cliff fall in Budleigh Salterton

There is a significant risk of further rock fall. Credit: East Devon District Council

People are also being warned to stay clear of the cliffs in Budleigh Salterton following a "substantial" rock fall.

East Devon District Council put out a warning after the fall which happened at around 2pm yesterday (December 6).

"We have already inspected the top of the cliff, and once the storm has passed we will be sending engineers to inspect the area further," the authority said.

"There is a significant risk of further rock fall as there are some very large cracks that have appeared. We would like to warn residents to please stay clear of the cliffs."