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Storm Kathleen has brought disruption to the UK and Ireland, with tens of thousands of people left without power, dozens of flights cancelled and a major tourist attraction forced to close.

Gusts of up to 70mph have hit the island of Ireland and parts of Britain – with the conditions leaving planes struggling to land at Heathrow Airport.

A British Airways flight was forced to abort a landing at Heathrow, with its wheels kissing the runway before immediately taking back to the skies.

About 70 flights departing and arriving at UK airports had been cancelled before midday, including all Aer Lingus services at Belfast City Airport.

About 34,000 homes in Ireland were left without power, with the outages concentrated in Mayo, Galway, Kerry and Cork.

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A man takes photos of the waves at Blackrock Diving Board, Salthill, Co Galway. Pic: PA
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A man takes photos of the waves at Blackrock Diving Board, Salthill, Co Galway. Pic: PA

Titanic Belfast was forced to close on Saturday due to damage to its roof caused by Storm Kathleen.

It said it had “taken the precautionary measure to close its building to the public for the remainder of today and tomorrow”.

Customers who have booked visits will be refunded and the attraction will reopen on Monday, it added.

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Storm Kathleen hits Whitehead, County Antrim. Pic: Bill Guiller
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Storm Kathleen hits Whitehead, County Antrim. Pic: Bill Guiller

A yellow weather warning for wind is in effect and covers Cornwall, much of Wales, parts of Lancashire and Cumbria, and up into central Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Some parts of the UK have seen warm weather, with Saturday provisionally becoming the hottest day of the year so far with 20.9C recorded, the Met Office said.

The highest temperature was reached in Santon Downham, Suffolk, on Saturday afternoon.

Pic: Met Office
Image:
Pic: Met Office

As of Saturday afternoon, the Environment Agency (EA) issued 14 flood warnings – where flooding is “expected” – and 118 flood alerts in England.

The EA also issued 45 red cautions for strong streams on the River Thames, advising users of all boats not to navigate.

National Resources Wales issued five flood alerts across the country.

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Pic: Environment Agency
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Pic: Environment Agency

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Storm Kathleen has brought winds of between 50mph and 60mph quite widely, while some Irish Sea coastal regions have seen gusts of up to 70mph.

The Met Office warned there was a risk of “injuries and danger to life” from large waves and beach material being thrown on to sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.

Met Office meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer said Storm Kathleen was “the reason we are seeing the warmer temperatures, because the location of the storm – situated out towards the west of the UK – is bringing a southerly wind across the UK”.

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Manhunt after five people stabbed at event in southeast London

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Manhunt after five people stabbed at event in southeast London

A manhunt has been launched after five people were stabbed at an event in southeast London, police have said.

Officers were called to Nathan Way, Thamesmead, at 4.19am on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said.

Five people were found with stab wounds and were taken to hospital where their injuries are still being assessed.

No arrests have been made.

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“Enquiries are ongoing and a cordon will remain in place throughout the day,” a Met Police statement said.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

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Three Iranians charged under National Security Act after investigation by UK counter-terror police

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Three Iranians charged under National Security Act after investigation by UK counter-terror police

Three Iranian men have been charged with offences under the National Security Act in the UK, police have said.

The trio have been charged with engaging in conduct likely to assist a foreign intelligence service between 14 August 2024 and 16 February 2025, following an investigation by counter-terror police.

The Metropolitan Police said the three men are Mostafa Sepahvand, 39, Farhad Javadi Manesh, 44, and Shapoor Qalehali Khani Noori, 55.

The foreign state to which the charges relate is Iran, police said.

All three men will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday, the force added.

Sepahvand, of St John’s Wood, London, has also been charged with “surveillance, reconnaissance and open-source research” with the intention of “committing serious violence against a person in the UK”, according to a police statement.

Meanwhile, Manesh, of Kensal Rise, London, and Noori, of Ealing, London, have also been charged with “engaging in conduct, namely surveillance and reconnaissance, with the intention that acts, namely serious violence against a person in the UK, would be committed by others”.

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Commander Dominic Murphy, from the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, described the charges as “extremely serious”.

“Since the men were arrested two weeks ago, detectives have been working around the clock and we have worked closely with colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service to reach this point,” he said.

“Now that these men have been charged, I would urge people not to speculate about this case, so that the criminal justice process can run its course.”

A fourth Iranian national aged 31 who was arrested was released with no further action on Thursday.

In a separate unrelated probe, counter-terror officers arrested five Iranian men, aged between 29 and 46, during raids across various locations in Greater Manchester, London, and Swindon earlier this month.

Last October, MI5 director general Ken McCallum said the UK intelligence agency had responded to 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots since 2022, warning of the risk of an “increase or broadening of Iranian state aggression in the UK”.

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Two firefighters and one other person die after fire at former RAF base in Oxfordshire

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Two firefighters and one other person die after fire at former RAF base in Oxfordshire

Two firefighters and a member of the public have died in a large fire in Bicester, the fire service announced.

The firefighters died in the inferno at a former RAF base in Oxfordshire, which now hosts historic motoring and aviation centre Bicester Motion.

The local fire service was called to the scene at 6.39pm last night.

Chief Fire Officer Rob MacDougall said: “It is with a very heavy heart that we today report the loss of two of our firefighters. Families have been informed and are being supported.

“Our thoughts are with them at this most difficult of times and we ask for privacy to be respected.

“We cannot release any details at present but will provide further information as soon as we can.”

Two other firefighters sustained serious injuries and are currently being treated in hospital, Oxfordshire County Council said in a statement.

Footage shared on social media shows plumes of smoke billowing into the sky and flames swallowing the large building.

Clouds of smoke from the fire were billowing into the sky last night. Pic:@kajer87X
Image:
Clouds of smoke from the fire were billowing into the sky last night. Pic:@kajer87X

Damaged buildings following a fire at Bicester Motion, the site of a former RAF base which is home to more than 50 specialist businesses focused on classic car restoration and engineering in Oxfordshire, where a large fire broke out on Thursday, with witnesses reporting loud explosions and thick black smoke billowing from the site. Picture date: Friday May 16, 2025.
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Two firefighters and one other person died in the fire, while two more firefighters were seriously injured. Pic: PA

Ten fire crews attended the incident, with four remaining at the scene. The fire is still ongoing, but it is considered under control.

Local residents were advised to remain indoors and keep their windows shut, but this advice has now been lifted.

Bicester Motion said in a statement it would be closed today and over the weekend.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

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