Blackpool rollercoaster riders suspended mid-climb in Storm Noa winds

Horror on the Big One: Blackpool rollercoaster riders are suspended mid-climb in Storm Noa winds as woman is ‘seriously injured’ by flying scaffolding, pilots battle to land at Heathrow and giant waves batter UK

• Blackpool coaster The Big One stopped in storm and riders had to climb down
• Police said a woman has been seriously injured in Fareham due to the weather
• Snow has fallen in Wales, Scotland, Cumbria and Devon as Storm Noa arrives 

Thrillseekers faced horror on an iconic Blackpool rollercoaster after the ride was forced to stop mid-climb as Storm Noa brought 70mph gusts to Britain.

The Big One at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, which reaches a height of 235ft, had to be stopped just seconds before it reached the summit of its first terrifying drop this afternoon.

Park staff had to scale the ride by foot to rescue the riders at 2.50pm today due to the heavy gusts and the ride was kept closed the rest of the day.

A spokesperson for Blackpool Pleasure Beach said: ‘At 2.50pm Blackpool Pleasure Beach stopped the Big One train on the ride’s lift hill due to sudden changes in weather conditions.

‘Guests on the ride were reassured and escorted from the ride by Blackpool Pleasure Beach staff.

‘Due to high gusts of wind the Big One rollercoaster closed for the remainder of the day.’

DEVON: The Big One (pictured) at Blackpool Pleasure Beach had to be stopped just seonds before it reached the summit of its first terrifying drop this afternoon

HAMPSHIRE: A woman has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after scaffolding fell on her during Storm Noa

HEATHROW: Tens of thousands of people have tuned into Big Jet TV to watch enormous jets land 

HEATHROW: Many of the jets were seen to wobble and sway as they approached the landing strip 

WALES: A motorist drives through a wintry landscape near Llanfihangel-nant-Melan, Wales

CUMBRIA: Skiddaw mountain in the Lake District covered in snow this morning as Storm Noa sweeps the UK

WALES: Waves crash against the lighthouse wall in Porthcawl today as Storm Noa arrives 

SCOTLAND: A man trudges through the snow today as Storm Noa hit the North of Scotland 

DEVON: Dartmoor experienced a brief blast of snow, sleet and hail this morning before sunshine returned 

DORSET: A surfer in the fierce waves as Storm Noa batters the seafront in Bournemouth

DORSET: A dog walker on the sea foam covered promenade as rough seas from Storm Noa crash against the sea defences at West Bay

Guests had to take hold of the handrails as they were led by staff down the more than 400 red emergency stairs to solid ground, The Blackpool Gazette reports.

In Hampshire, a woman had to be be rushed to hospital with serious injuries after scaffolding was blown off a roof and came crashing down on her, due to heavy winds brought by Storm Noa.

Emergency services rushed to a high street in Fareham, Hampshire after the metal scaffolding was blown down outside a Halifax bank.

Shop workers on the high street described hearing a ‘loud bang’, with dramatic photos showing metal strewn across the street and police confirming the woman had suffered ‘serious injuries.’

The frightening incident comes as the UK battles to stay in control of a storm that has already brought high winds, snow and disruption to all parts of Britain today.  

Aircraft arriving at Heathrow could be seen swaying in the high winds amid Met Office warnings of short-term power cuts and disruption to road and ferry travel in the south west.

There has been snowfall in Scotland, Wales and Cumbria today with a sudden flurry of ‘snow, sleet and hail’ also reported in Devon.

Some homes were without power and fallen trees blocked several roads in Devon and Cornwall.

A gust of 68mph was recorded at Berry Head at Brixham and at St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly a 64mph gust was logged.

BBC weather forecaster David Braine said: ‘In Plymouth there was a massive gust which rattled the roof and that was 60mph.’

The Met Office warned of further blasts until 8pm tonight.

Elsewhere, a tree fell on to a house in Torquay, Devon, and all the occupants were accounted for.

A woman was being treated by ambulance staff after her car was in collision with a fallen tree on the A377 between Crediton and Copplestone, blocking the road.

Her condition is not yet known.

Also in Devon, a woman had to be taken to hospital after her car was crushed and trapped by a falling tree this afternoon.

Fire crews confirmed she was treated at the scene of the incident, on the A377 near Spence Combe, until ambulance crews arrived who proceeded to take her on board and to hospital for a thorough assessment.

Firefighters from Crediton and North Tawton attended the incident earlier today, who said they had to make space to get the casualty out by ‘moving the [car] seats back’.

A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service added: “Crews then remained on scene to allow police to complete their investigations and to make the vehicle safe.

‘We wish the casualty all the best for her ongoing recovery.’ The casualty’s injuries are ‘not not suspected to be serious at this stage’, they added.

DEVON: A woman had to be taken to hospital after her car was crushed and trapped by a falling tree this afternoon on the A377 near Spence Combe

Fire crews confirmed she was treated at the scene of the incident, on the A377 near Spence Combe, until ambulance crews arrived who proceeded to take her on board and to hospital for a thorough assessment

PLYMOUTH: Trees came crashing down, crushing cars after chaos caused by Storm Noa

LONDON: A runner navigates the torrential rain close to Tower Bridge today 

DORSET: A couple battling the wind on the pier in Bournemouth today

DORSET: Storm Noa batters the seafront in Bournemouth as Storm Noa brings a yellow wind warning to area 

A swathe of wintry weather with heavy rain and strong 70mph gusts will batter Britain today as Storm Noa (pictured) sweeps across the nation

The weather system, named Storm Noa by Meteo France, is predicted to grow stronger over the course of the day with coastal areas in south-west England, particularly Devon and Cornwall, likely to be worst affected

A yellow weather warning for wind has also been extended to the south-east of England, where the storm is predicted to migrate over the course of the day

A blast of cold air this morning could even see an ‘increasing risk of snow over the higher ground for parts of the UK, especially in the north’. Pictured: Snow in Cleveleys, Lancashire this morning

The weather system, named Storm Noa by Meteo France, is predicted to grow stronger over the course of the day with coastal areas in south-west England, particularly Devon and Cornwall, likely to be worst affected.

The forecaster said there is a chance of ‘heavy outbreaks of rain and thunder’ in south-east England by this evening.

Taking to social media, one dog walker described how suddenly the Arctic blast had arrived. 

They said: ‘Early sunshine & blue skies meant I decided to take the dogs and my coffee out to the sheepfold this morning …. then this! Snow, sleet and hail. Five minutes later we had sunshine again!’ 

‘There’s likely to be some warning updates from us of winds with some associated rain throughout the day with gusts up to 60-70 miles per hour this morning and some heavy rains accompanying,’ Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said.

‘Coastal areas, particularly Devon and Cornwall, are likely to see the worst of this with potential short-term losses of power and disruption to travel.

‘This is a low-pressure system that is building in from the west and is set to get worse throughout the course of the day.’

Although the weather is a named storm in France, it is not classed as such by the Met Office.

Heavy showers are also expected in Scotland, with western areas predicted to see in excess of 30mm of rain and other areas set to see around 20mm of rain.

Temperatures in Scotland are expected to be 5C but will dip to freezing level overnight tonight, particularly in rural areas in the north of the country.

Motorists – particularly those driving HGVs, motorhomes and motorcycles, and those towing caravans and trailers – have been warned to expect some difficult travel conditions. 

National Highways is urging motorists to check conditions before beginning their commute. Drivers should be extra vigilant when travelling across exposed locations, such as coastal and high lying areas and bridges, as these areas could be affected by high winds.

A yellow warning for wind has been lifted in Northern Ireland, though the Met Office predicts strong winds of around 50mph in some coastal areas.

The UK is experiencing wet and wintry weather this week. Pictured: Traffic on the A939 at the Lecht today as fresh snow falls in the North of Scotland

People have been warned to expect some difficult travel conditions today. Pictured: Bad weather causes waves to create a snow-like effect in in Cleveleys, Lancashire this morning

A swathe of disruptive winds with gusts of up to 70mph and ‘severe gales’ and heavy rain is set to sweep across Britain today. Pictured: The sky in Dunsden, Oxfordshire at dawn today ahead of what is set to be a wet and windy day

The wet and wintry weather is set to bring a chilly start this morning with sunshine and showers that may be heavy and thundery. Pictured: The sun rises over the countryside in Dunsden, Oxfordshire this morning

The grip of the unsettled conditions is set to last for the rest of the week, with sunshine and heavy showers for many on Thursday and persistent rain in the south on Friday. 

It is then set to become drier and brighter into the weekend, while temperatures may start to rise next week.

Mr Dixon added: ‘The set up is low pressure dominant both in the South West and in Scotland. Overnight tonight and into Thursday, we are expecting these low-pressure systems to combine and move into the North Sea. This will leave behind showers across much of the UK with winds decreasing throughout the day on Thursday.’

The first storm to be named by the Met Office, or Irish or Dutch weather services, this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 name list.

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