LIVE: Storm Ciaran Updates For The Isle of Wight

We're bringing you live updates through the evening as Storm Ciaran arrives across the South - and weather warnings come into force on the Isle of Wight.

We'll be keeping you up to date with the latest updates through the evening.

Have you seen a flooded road, a downed tree, or other damage caused by the storm? Let us know on Facebook.

Last updated: 14:13 - please refresh regularly for the latest updates - and scroll down for the live blog.

Multiple flood warnings have been issued for parts of the Isle of Wight. Those living in affected areas are urged to take action to protect themselves and their properties.

The Environment Agency advises us to avoid contact with, walking or driving through flood water - and to activate any flood protection products we may have.

Advice and guidance - including important contact numbers - can be found here.

Flooding is expected in:

• Coastal areas in East Cowes
• Coastal areas in West Cowes
• Tidal areas of Newport (Newport Quay, areas surrounding the Medina)
• Bembridge
• Brading
• Vicinity of Eastern Yar (Sandown, Whitwell, Alverstone, Wroxall)
• Yarmouth

We should be aware of possible flooding in:

• Seaview
• West Wight Coastal areas

Ferries

• Hovertravel
  Suspended. If you are affected, find the operator's disruption contingency plan here.

Bus Routes

• Route 1 - Normal Route- Buses are now able to serve the bus stop at St. Mary's Hospital once again.
• Route 2- Not serving Merstone- Buses are instead diverting via Rookley.
• Routes 2 & 3 - Not serving Morton Common - Buses are diverting via Yaverland, Marshcombe Shute and Yarbridge Crossroads
• Route 6 - Due to the high winds on the coastal road between Blackgang and Niton, buses are unable to serve Chale Green or Blackgang. Buses are instead operating from Town Lane in Chale Green via Appleford Road and Newport Road to reach Niton Village.
• Route 7 - Buses are terminating at Totland. Alum Bay is not being served at this time.
• Route 12 - Not serving Military Road or Alum Bay due to high winds. Buses are also unable to serve Bowcombe or Clatterford Shute due to flooding.
• Route 51- Not operating today as Cowes Enterprise College is closed
• Route 57- Not operating today as Cowes Enterprise College is closed
• Needles Breezer- Is due to operate, however Alum Bay and The Battery will not be served.

Trains

• Hourly service, but not serving Ryde Esplanade or the Pier Head.

As heavy rain falls across the Isle of Wight, it is likely that some key routes could be affected by standing water and/or flooding.

• Golf Links Road, Sandown closed due to flooding
• Morton Common Road, Brading closed due to flooding
• Bowcombe Road, Carisbrooke closed due to flooding
• Carters Road, Ryde closed due to fallen tree
• Bedbury Lane, Freshwater closed due to fallen tree
• Blackwater Shute (between Merstone Lane and Blackwater Hollow) closed due to flooding - now reopened

Have you spotted an issue on the roads? Let us know here.

Several schools have announced they will close on Thursday.

• Cowes Enterprise College
• Isle of Wight College and CECAMM
• Northwood Primary
• St Blasius
• St Francis
• Priory School

We'll be keeping you up to date with key events as Storm Ciaran arrives on the Isle of Wight here on our LIVE blog.

11:57 - Amazon World closes for the day

Amazon World is closed for the day following Storm Ciarán. It says it's animals are safe, and keepers are working to keep them happy and clear debris from the site.

11:28 - Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat unable to respond to calls as station severely damaged.

Volunteer crew members at Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat have been left unable to respond to emergency calls, after severe damage to their station during last nights storm.

Read more on this update here...

09.24 - Power cuts latest

According to SSEN, almost 200 Isle of Wight postcodes (PO30, PO36 and PO38) are without power this morning.

It's estimated that 325 homes are currently awaiting engineers on site to work on the issues.

Niton and Whitwell are the worst hit areas at this time:

08.30 - Updated Weather Warning

A Yellow weather warning for rain has been updated and will be in place until at least 11.59pm today (Thursday).

What to expect

• Delays or cancellations to train and bus services are possible
• Homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings
• Some communities may be cut off by flooded roads
• Fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a danger to life

03:01 - Goodnight from us...

It's time for our last update of the night. At the time of writing, winds across the Isle of Wight remain gusty and forecasters still expect them to pick up further later today (Thursday).

A quick recap from this evening:

• There has been multiple fallen trees across the Isle of Wight, though few of these have been on main routes and there has been no reports of injury or damage.
• Several schools have announced they will remain closed today (Thursday).
• Several flood warnings and alerts remain in place.
• Some healthcare appointments will be rescheduled or held remotely today.
• At least 128 postcodes are without power.

For more on all of these stories, scroll down.

What can we expect from the rest of the day?

The Met Office says we can expect heavy rain for the first few hours of this morning, perhaps with a chance of thunder. An amber warning for wind comes into force from 6am and lasts until 5pm this afternoon. A yellow warning for rain also remains in place until midnight.

• Flying debris could result in a danger to life
• Damage to buildings and homes is possible, with roofs blown off and power lines and trees brought down
• Roads, bridges and railway lines may close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
• Power cuts could occur and affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• There is potential for large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties

We're told to expect gusts as fast as 80mph in some areas. We'll be back with more updates later this morning.

For the latest news, travel, and storm information, tune in to FM107&102 from 6am for Topping in the Morning - or ask Alexa to play Isle of Wight Radio.

02:10 - Car owners urged to move vehicles from Ryde car park as waves top sea wall.

Car owners parked in the large car park on Ryde seafront, close to the former Ryde Arena, are being urged to move their vehicles as sea water tops the sea wall.

Dan F posted on Facebook saying:

"Anyone parked in LA bowl carpark needs to move their car asap. The sea is violently splashing over the wall and flooding it fast!"

00:53 - Water levels continue to rise in areas hit by flood warnings.

Water levels are continuing to rise in several areas hit by flood warnings. The water level within the River Medina and the Eastern Yar is expected to continue to rise until around 01:40 when the tide begins to turn.

A reminder of areas currently under flood warnings:

Flooding is expected in:

• Coastal areas in East Cowes
• Coastal areas in West Cowes
• Tidal areas of Newport (Newport Quay, areas surrounding the Medina)
• Bembridge
• Brading
• Vicinity of Eastern Yar (Sandown, Whitwell, Alverstone, Wroxall)
• Yarmouth

We should be aware of possible flooding in:

• Seaview
• West Wight Coastal areas

Advice and guidance - including important contact numbers - can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this page.

00:19 - More than 120 postcodes affected by power outages

SSEN says 128 Isle of Wight postcodes are without power this evening in Merstone, Arreton and Chillerton.

The fault was reported at 23:45 - SSEN estimates power will be restored by 16:00 tomorrow.

Read more on this story here…

23:02- Fallen trees reported on key Island routes

Isle of Wight Radio listeners are reporting that a number of key Island routes are affected by fallen trees this evening. It's as wind gusts have already reached 76mph at The Needles.

Kite Hill in Wootton, Staplers Road and Beaper Shute are said to be affected.

21:04 - Donkey Sanctuary latest attraction to announce closure.

In a post on Facebook, the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary said it would be closed until Friday.

20:37 - Residents without power in area of the South Wight

Residents in multiple postcodes in the South Wight are without power already this evening.

SSEN says a fault was first reported at 19:59. Engineers are expected to restore supplies by 23:00.

Postcodes affected are as follows:

• PO38 1XZ
• PO38 2PP
• PO38 2PR
• PO38 2QR
• PO38 2QS
• PO38 2QT
• PO38 2QU
• PO38 2QX

20:32 - First wave of heavy weather expected imminently across the Isle of Wight

The Met Office storm tracker shows that the first wave of heavy weather is now approaching the Isle of Wight, having already hit the Dorset coast. Between 8-16mm of rain is expected per hour across the Island over the next few hours.

20:19 - Sandbags stolen from properties in East Cowes as Isle of Wight Council updates pickup locations

There's been reports of sandbags being stolen from properties in East Cowes. Isle of Wight Police have taken to X - formerly known as Twitter - and warned that taking sandbags from anywhere other than the official pickup locations could be treated as theft.

Isle of Wight Council have received reports that a number of sandbags have been stolen from addresses in East Cowes, not only this morally unacceptable it is THEFT. Please let’s work together to keep people and property safe over this period of adverse weather. Insp 23504 pic.twitter.com/STKqCeGMyw

— Isle of Wight Police (@IOWightPolice) November 1, 2023

Sandbags can now be picked up from the following locations: 

• Well Road, East Cowes
• Simeon Street Recreation Ground, Ryde
• St Mary's Car Park, Cowes

Residents are asked to only take as many as strictly needed. We're told additional stations may be setup should areas flood.

The Isle of Wight Council also said:

"We are also aware of community-led sandbag stations being created, so check social media for potential locations."

Read more on this story here...

20:15 - More schools announce closures on the Isle of Wight

More Island schools have announced that they will close tomorrow. At the current time, the following will be shut:

• Cowes Enterprise College
• Isle of Wight College and CECAMM
• Northwood Primary
• St Blasius
• St Francis
• Priory School

19:50 - Community, mental health and learning disability appointments to be provided remotely

The Isle of Wight NHS Trust says some of its community and mental health and learning disabilities appointments and visits planned for Thursday 2nd November, will now be provided remotely or rescheduled.

We're told teams will be in contact if the appointment location needs to be changed or rescheduled. If you are not contacted then your appointment will continue as planned.

18:50 - Dinosaur Isle announces closure

Dinosaur Isle has announced it will close tomorrow due to the forecast. A statements reads:

"At Dinosaur Isle we take the safety of our visitors and staff very seriously.

"Due to our position on the seafront and the onset of Storm Ciaran, we have taken the difficult decision to close the museum tomorrow, Thursday 2nd November.

"We will be open as normal Friday 3rd November at 10am."

17:45 - Three schools announce they will stay closed tomorrow (Thursday)

Several schools and colleges on the Isle of Wight have announced they will close tomorrow (Thursday) due to the extreme weather. Cowes Enterprise College, the Isle of Wight College (both campuses) and Northwood Primary will be closed.

Read more on this update here.

17:33 - Southern Vectis customers urged to plan ahead

Passengers using Southern Vectis services are being urged to plan ahead by the firm's General Manager.

Richard Tyldsley said:

“With widespread disruption expected with the arrival of Storm Ciarán, we are urging our customers to plan ahead and use our app or website to track their buses. We will also be updating our social media channels with the service status of our routes on a regular basis. 
 
“Our team will be working hard to operate all services across the island, unless it becomes unsafe for us to do so - or the roads are impassable. We advise our customers to expect delays and disruption to services throughout the day. We thank them for their understanding and hope they stay safe throughout the duration of the storm.”

17:20 - New flood warning issued for Yarmouth as flooding now expected

The Environment Agency has issued an updated flood warning for Yarmouth and says flooding is now expected. Residents should take immediate action and deploy any flood protection products they have.

It's as tide levels rise in the Harbour and the River Yar. Find more details of flood alerts and warnings above in our warnings section.

16:48 - Major incident declared across the Isle of Wight and Hampshire

A major incident has been declared in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight amid warnings that Storm Ciaran could pose a risk to life. We're expecting gusts of up to 80mph when it makes landfall.

Read more on this update here...

16:25 - Flooding information hubs set up by the Isle of Wight Council

The Council has set up flood information hubs for Islanders who are affected by the weather and any flooding tonight and tomorrow. It's also relaunched its weather guidance line on 01983 823111.

Read more on this update here...

16:20 - Some sailings cancelled on Wightlink

Cross-Solent operator, Wightlink, has announced cancellations on its Fishbourne to Portsmouth route. Cancelled sailings from Fishbourne include 23:00, 01:00 & 04:00. Cancelled sailings from Portsmouth include 22:00, 23:59 & 03:00.

Read more on this update here... 

16:01 - Welcome to the Storm Ciaran Live Blog.

Welcome to our Live Blog for Storm Ciaran. We're expecting winds of up to 90mph in some places on the Island as the storm arrives on our shores. Stick with us for the latest updates. If you spot something where you are, you can let us know here.

Emergency 999 calls
Please use the 999 emergency number only if there is an immediate risk to life. 
 
Flooding
Advice on how to prepare for flooding can be found on the Environment Agency website. For assistance in the event of flooding call 0345 988 1188 or text 0345 602 6340.

The Isle of Wight Council's own Floodline advice and guidance number is (01983) 823111.

Flooding advice and sandbag information is available on the Council website.

Medical assistance
If you have an urgent medical problem and you are not sure what to do, visit 111 online.

Urgent Treatment Centres and pharmacies are equipped to deal with minor injuries, such as cuts or sprains. Please only go to the hospital’s Emergency Department for life-threatening accidents and emergencies. Find details of pharmacies and Urgent Treatment Centres online.

You can also download the Healthier Together app for advice if you have children or carer responsibilities. The app can help you decide whether you can self-care at home or if you need help, and which service is best for the needs of children aged up to 18. It also provides advice and guidance for pregnant women.

For more information on local health services and getting the right care for your needs, please click here.

For non-emergency calls relating to vulnerable older people, call adult services on (01983) 823340 or (01983) 821105  outside of office hours.

Issues on roads
Extra highways crews are on standby to respond to the impact of Storm Ciaran and clear excess water and tree debris, prioritising main routes and routes to critical services.

To report a highways issue click here.

Utilities

You can join utility company registers for people who are vulnerable or have individual needs:

• Southern Water Priority Services Register: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/help-advice/join-our-priority-services-register
• Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Priority Services Register: https://www.ssen.co.uk/power-cuts-emergencies/priority-services/priority-services-registration-form/