Cancellations and disruption as storm closes in
Blenheim Palace has become the newest tourist spot to cancel its Christmas festivities on Saturday because of "bad weather conditions."
Storm Bert is expected to hit the UK, bringing yellow warnings for wind and rain in the southern regions starting Saturday and continuing into Sunday.
The palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, is wrapping up its light display that highlights the beautifully designed gardens, along with the Christmas market and ice skating rink that were launched just last week.
The organizers are keeping an eye on the weather prediction for Sunday and haven't released any additional updates so far.
They expressed their regret for any trouble caused and provided ticket holders the opportunity to reschedule for a different day.
Other events that have been called off in the south include the Christmas lights ceremonies in Dorchester, Romsey, Christchurch, New Milton, and Odiham.
The Maidenhead event will still take place, but the fireworks have been called off. Instead, the holiday market and entertainment will be relocated indoors.
Holly Clarke, representing Stand Out for Autism, a charity featuring their "sensory bus" at the event, shared with the BBC, "We aren't letting Storm Bert ruin our holiday celebrations today in any way."
The team behind Wokingham's Winter Carnival announced that the event scheduled for Sunday has been cancelled.
"They mentioned that the strong winds predicted for this Sunday would prevent us from setting up the stage, running the fairground, and could pose risks for our vendors."
The We Shine lights festival in Portsmouth has decided to cancel its outdoor displays, but the indoor installations will still take place as planned.
Powerful winds have hit the southern coastline, reaching speeds of 71 mph at the Needles near the Isle of Wight.
Portsmouth Road in Southampton was shut down following the collapse of a power cable close to the intersection with Grange Road in Old Netley.
In Reading, the scheduled installation of a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge on the A33 Relief Road that was set for the weekend has been delayed. Additionally, there were plans for resurfacing work.
This means that the A33 Relief Road, which was supposed to be closed for the construction activities, will remain open as it normally is.
South Western Railway announced that, because of predictions for "severe weather," including "heavy rain and strong winds," trains will operate at slower speeds on all routes. This may result in potential delays and interruptions until noon on Monday.
It advised travelers to head west of Basingstoke only if their trips are necessary.
Train services running from Exeter to London Waterloo will now begin and end at Basingstoke. Passengers can expect extended travel times on the routes between Salisbury and Exeter, as well as between Bournemouth and Weymouth, because of speed limits in place.
On Sunday and Monday, all services will commence later than normal due to safety checks.
In Hampshire, a man lost his life when a tree fell onto a vehicle on the A34 at Kings Worthy on Saturday morning, resulting in the road being shut down for over six hours.
Hampshire police did not verify whether the incident was connected to the storm, stating that it is "currently being investigated."
In the world of sports, the Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth was delayed after an inspection revealed the pitch at Ewood Park was too wet for play. This came despite the fact that many fans had already begun their 268-mile trip to the stadium.
