Tens of thousands of homes without power as severe weather strikes England, Wales

Around 4,000 homes have been affected in the Midlands, south-west England, and south Wales, while a further 27,000 properties in the North East, Yorkshire, and northern Lincolnshire are without electricity, according to British media.

Ross Easton of the Energy Networks Association (ENA), which represents the UK’s power network operators, noted that while the outages have been localized so far, the worst of the storm is yet to come.

"For most parts of the country, the severe weather has not yet had a significant impact. However, our members have extra engineers and contact center teams on standby, and control rooms are monitoring the storm closely as it develops," Easton said.

The UK Met Office and the Environment Agency (EA) have issued multiple warnings, describing the event as a "multi-hazard" storm.

Heavy rainfall, strong winds, and dangerous coastal conditions are expected to intensify through the weekend.

More than 100 flood alerts are in place across the UK, with over a dozen red warnings issued for the north-west of England. Areas such as the M61 motorway between Manchester and Preston are anticipated to be at significant risk of flooding.

The Met Office has warned of heavy rain developing overnight into Sunday, particularly affecting south-west and southern England.

In addition, strong winds are forecast to create hazardous conditions along southern coasts.

Energy companies and local authorities are urging residents to prepare for potential disruptions.