Storm Ciarán aftermath: Hundreds of South West homes without power and train lines closed

Waves batter Porthleven during Storm Ciaran
Heavy wind and rain battered the South West yesterday Credit: BPM Media

Disruption remains across the South West in the aftermath of Storm Ciarán, with train lines closed and hundreds of homes still without power.

Hundreds of schools across Devon and Cornwall were shut yesterday (2 November) and thousands of homes were left without power, and major travel routes were blocked.

Rail disruption today

This morning (3 November), a number of train lines across the region are closed with services between Plymouth and Penzance not running until further notice.

All lines into Exeter St Davids are also closed due to flooding on the line, with disruption expected until 10am. Lines between Plymouth and Gunnislake also remain closed until further notice.

In Cornwall, lines between Looe and Liskeard have been closed.

Great Western Railway is urging passengers to ensure they check before travelling, adding that disruption is likely throughout the day.

Flood warnings

Flood warnings are in place for parts of Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

In Somerset, 14 flood warnings are in place, meaning flooding is expected in some areas. River levels have peaked on the River Cam.

The locations where red flood warnings and orange flood alerts are in place in the South West. Credit: Environment Agency

"Take care near the areas of concern and monitor your local weather conditions", an Environment Agency spokesperson said.

In Cornwall, three flood warnings are in place, with water levels of the River Neet at Bude remaining high. There are 8, less serious flood alerts across the county.

In Devon, 18 flood warnings are in place, with water levels still high on the River Axe and the River Exe, despite the rain easing.

Homes still without power

Hundreds of homes in the region are still without power, according to the National Grid, most of which are in Cornwall.

"Our teams will be prioritising restoring their supplies as quickly and safely as possible today", a spokesperson said.

"Thank you to all our customers affected by the storm for their patience and understanding. Anyone who is without power should call us on 105."

School shut

Pondhu Primary School in St Austell remains shut today due to flooding, with the school saying it needs time to “dry and clean the building so the children can return safely”.

A primary school in Truro has announced it is having to shut due to power outages being caused by the weather.

Mount Hawke Academy has announced that it is having to 'close the school again today' due to 'intermittent power outages'.

In a post on the school's Facebook page, staff added: "Please can you pick up your child(ren) as soon as you are able to do so.

"All children safe so please don't worry. Thank you!"

In a statement, a spokesperson for the National Grid said: "We had a report of a tree on an overhead power line in this area at 10.25 and 763 customers lost power.

"All were restored by 11.58. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to customers as a result of this incident."

It comes after hundreds of schools took the decision to shut on Thursday due to the storm, which led to widespread disruption and some safety concerns for some sites using temporary classrooms.