Windy weekend causes havoc (From Barry And District News)

Windy weekend causes havoc

BARRY suffered yet again under the lash of strong winds and heavy rain over the weekend.

The police were inundated with calls from worried members of the public concerned with fallen trees and downed power lines.

Workers in AES Barry Power Station, on Sully Moors Road, recorded wind speeds of 122mph at 5.40am on Sunday, October 27.

Cllr Fred Johnson, who lives on Barry Waterfront, was woken at 4.30am when tiles were ripped off his roof. He said: "The force was so strong it tore the felt under the tiles. Now I'm hoping the rain stays off for a couple of days, to give me the chance to fix it."

Barry Coastguard were also kept busy. A spokesman said: "We were called out to assist the police, who had cordoned off Friars Point for public safety. The waves were crashing over the head, and while it was an impressive sight, it was worrying to see people taking their children to watch the sea. We were asked to clear the headland before any casualties occurred."

Some of the most alarming incidents happened during the morning. At 7.20am on Sunday, the ticket hut on the Cold Knap blew away, and at 11.42am two British Telecom poles came down in Plymouth Road on Barry Island, just feet away from the children's play area.

PC Simon Rees of Barry police said: "Officers were kept extremely busy with last weekend's storms. On Sunday, police throughout the division dealt with more than 200 calls, with over half related to the storm.

"There were roads blocked by fallen trees and debris, and power lines came down in Rhoose and Lavernock.

"In most cases officers with the assistance of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, and members of the public managed to clear roads to allow traffic through.

"Thankfully, though, there were no serious injuries caused to residents during the storm."