Brits told ‘do NOT travel today’ as 400 homes evacuated and train stations

BRITS have been urged not to travel during Storm Franklin today as more than 400 homes were evacuated and train stations are left underwater.

A tornado warning is in place as the third devastating storm in just five days slammed into the UK overnight, bring 87mph winds.

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Hundreds of people have been evacuated in south Manchester after concerns the severe rainfall could cause endanger lives as the River Mersey swells.

This morning, National Rail has told people to avoid rail travel if possible today – and say that even when services resume, there’ll be “major disruption” to routes “across most of Great Britain”.

Almost every rail company in the country, including the Heathrow Express, Stansted Express, Cross Country and Thameslink, says its trains will be affected.

South Western Railway says the weather conditions were “likely to hamper efforts to help stranded customers”.

TransPennine Express is strongly urging customers to “avoid travel if possible”, particularly those planning to travel north of Preston in Lancashire before 10am.

Operations director Paul Watson said: “Due to the impact of Storm Franklin, train services are disrupted along the West Coast Mainline.”

Great Western Railway said commuters must travel only “if absolutely necessary” as services are expected to be “significantly disrupted across the network”.

Company Greater Anglia has warned the line between Southminster and Wickford is blocked as a result of “extensive damage” this morning – and said: “Please only travel if essential.”

‘ROTHERHAM LOOKS LIKE VENICE’

Northern has shared a photo from Rotherham station showing the line is completely underwater – and says replacement bus services aren’t available.

British Transport Police South Yorkshire tweeted: “Rotherham station resembles the canals of Venice!”

And Merseyrail says damaged barriers between Southport and Birkdale means trains are currently unable to leave Southport station.

Transport for London said the London Overground is suspended between Stratford and Richmond, Stratford and Clapham Junction, Romford and Upminster, and Sydenham and West Croydon due to damage caused by severe weather.

British Airways has also cancelled 17 flights from Heathrow travelling to destinations around Europe this morning.

On the roads, several major bridges were closed this morning, including the M48 Severn Bridge connecting England and Wales, and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing between Kent and Essex. 

In the North West, the M60 in Greater Manchester is closed between junctions 10 and 11 after an HGV overturned.

The M6 was closed in Lancashire between junction 27 and 28 after an lorry hit a bridge and caught fire in high winds. 

Meanwhile, 29,000 homes in Sligo and Donegal, Ireland are without power today, and around 4,500 homes have been left in the dark for three days in West Sussex.

It comes as:

The latest weather misery comes after ferocious Storm Eunice killed four people and plunged 1.3m homes into darkness on Friday, and Storm Dudley wrecked homes and cars last week.

It’s the first time since significant storms were given names back in 2015 that three have followed in such a short space of time.

Franklin, an 800-mile wide squall, will bring “severe and damaging gusts” and torrential downpours, The Met Office warned.

Storm Franklin’s highest gust of 87mph was recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight overnight, followed by gusts of 79mph on a mountaintop in Wales.

That compares to a 122mph high on Friday during Storm Eunice. 

An amber warning for wind was in place across Northern Ireland from midnight until 7am. It has now lapsed.

Yellow warnings cover the whole of England and Wales and parts of Scotland until 1pm on Monday.

Intense downpours have already caused dangerous flooding in some parts overnight.

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There are currently two rare “severe” flood warnings in place near the River Mersey – alongside 315 other flood alerts.

Yorkshire was expected to be one of the worst-hit places.

The River Don…