'Danger to life' warning as Storm Ciarán hits UK shores

Hundreds of schools have been closed, flights grounded and train services disrupted as Storm Ciarán batters the south of England.

"The Channel Islands bore the brunt of the storm" on Wednesday night and into the early hours of Thursday," reported The Guardian. Authorities in Jersey reported winds of 102mph on the island, and more than 60 people were evacuated from their homes. 

One local, Carl Walker, described "golf ball sized hailstones" falling, "like a scene from a disaster movie", said The Independent.

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With similar wind speeds expected as the storm made landfall in southern England, the Met Office issued an amber warning, meaning flying debris could result in a danger to life and damage to buildings is possible. Yellow warnings are now in place for wind across southern England until later on Thursday, for rain stretching up to north Wales until midnight on Thursday, and another yellow warning for rain for northeast England and eastern Scotland until 6am on Friday. The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO) also issued a tornado warning stretching from South Wales to London. 

There are more than 50 flood warnings in place in England, mostly for areas along the south coast, and more are expected to be issued, the flood risk manager for the Environment Agency told Sky News.

Journeys are "likely to take longer in affected areas", said The Times. The RAC is advising drivers in the south and west of the UK to avoid coastal and rural roads. Rail firms are "strongly advising" passengers not to travel on routes in and out of London, and commuters in southern England advised to work from home today where possible. 

And airlines are telling passengers flying from airports in the south of England, Wales and Northern Ireland to check for updates before starting their journey.

The torrential rain "is very likely to be linked to climate change", said Michael Byrne, a climate scientist at the University of St Andrews, because "a warmer atmosphere holds more water vapour". 

But "the link between strong winds and climate change is much less clear," he added. "There is some evidence suggesting storms like Ciarán will become windier as climate warms, but the jury is out."