Strong gusts and turbulent seas batter Portsmouth as city braces for the arrival of Storm Franklin
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A yellow weather warning has been placed by the Met Office for strong winds tonight and tomorrow, as Storm Franklin bears down on Britain.
The weather system is the second storm to batter Portsmouth, following Friday’s relentless assault by Storm Eunice.
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Hide AdThat maelstrom damaged buildings across Portsmouth and Gosport, toppled walls, destroyed fences and uprooted trees, with wind speeds reaching a record-breaking 122mph on the Isle of Wight.
Dramatic images from Southsea this afternoon show how the coastal stretched was once again pummelled by the approaching weather front.
Winds of almost 60mph have already been recorded today, with waves blasting over the sea defences and crashing onto Clarence Esplanade.
A flood alert was issued for Thorney Island to Bracklesham Bay, for the high tide at 2.15am on Monday.
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Hide AdIn a statement, the government said: ‘Large waves since Storm Eunice have moved some shingle from the beaches between Bracklesham and Medmerry.
‘For one hour either side of high water, water could flow over the beach near Medmerry Park Holiday village and through the ditch network towards Bracklesham Caravan and Boat Club.
‘Shore Road, Bosham, will flood, but only minimal flood impacts are expected around the rest of Chichester Harbour.’
The Met Office has issued an amber warning for wind which could cause ‘travel delays, road and rail closures, power cuts and the potential risk to life and property’ in Northern Ireland from midnight until 7am on Monday.
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Hide AdMilder yellow warnings for wind cover England, Wales and the south-western edge of Scotland for between midday and 3pm on Monday.
Storm Franklin is the third to hit the UK in the past week, following Storm Dudley and Eunice.
Meteorologist Becky Mitchell said three named storms in such quick succession is a first since the system was introduced seven years ago.
She told the PA news agency: ‘This is the first time we have had three named storms within a week, and we started the storm naming system in 2015.
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Hide Ad‘At the moment we’ve got a really active jet stream, which is why we’re seeing so many storms track right towards the UK.
‘We had Dudley on Wednesday, Eunice on Friday and Franklin today.’
Ms Mitchell said there will ‘definitely be some impact’ from Storm Franklin but it is not expected to be ‘as severe’ as Eunice because the strongest winds will be confined to the coast.
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron
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