:00:07. > :00:14.This is Newsround on the day the UK is hit by a huge storm. We'll have
:00:15. > :00:27.the latest on how the massive winds, power cuts and floods could be
:00:28. > :00:30.affecting you. Let's start with the latest on the
:00:31. > :00:33.powerful storm battering parts of the UK. Severe flood alerts have
:00:34. > :00:37.been issued and thousands of people told to leave their homes all along
:00:38. > :00:40.the east coast - from Northumberland in the North to Kent in the South.
:00:41. > :00:43.Two people have been killed by high winds. Scotland was worst hit this
:00:44. > :00:47.morning, and a lorry driver was killed in high winds. Gusts of up to
:00:48. > :00:50.100 miles per hour left more than 100,000 people without power. Across
:00:51. > :00:54.Britain, people are waiting to see if there's worse still to come. The
:00:55. > :00:56.start of the storm as it hit Scotland. Howling winds toppled
:00:57. > :00:59.trees and stopped traffic. BBC reporter Laura Bicker faced the
:01:00. > :01:03.worst of it this morning. The winds are causing quite a few problems
:01:04. > :01:08.this morning, not least for me standing up! Trains were stopped
:01:09. > :01:13.from travelling and power lines ripped down, loving 100,000 homes
:01:14. > :01:16.without power. More than 6,000 suffered the same fate in Northern
:01:17. > :01:21.Ireland as huge waves lashed the mainland. As the storm spread south,
:01:22. > :01:29.the East Coast of England was worst hit We've had 60-70 miles per hour
:01:30. > :01:33.winds, gales have whipped the East Coast. But attention is turning to
:01:34. > :01:37.what's happening out at sea and what this tidal surge will mean for
:01:38. > :01:41.thousands of people, businesses and homes along the East Coast. With th
:01:42. > :01:46.riseing water levels from Flintshire in Wales to Great Yarmouth in
:01:47. > :01:52.Norfolk, people are preparing for what still could be to come.
:01:53. > :01:54.Thousands have now been told to leave their homes as forecasters
:01:55. > :01:58.warn that the most serious tidal surge in more than 60 years could
:01:59. > :02:02.flood as many as 3,000 properties in the next 24 hours. So what is a
:02:03. > :02:11.tidal surge and how could it affect us? Massive tidal summers don't
:02:12. > :02:15.happen often here in the UK. But these kinds of conditions can
:02:16. > :02:20.produce huge waves and the risk of flooding is much higher. This is how
:02:21. > :02:24.they are created. Air puts pressure on everything around us, humans,
:02:25. > :02:28.land and the sea. When the weather is wet and windy this pressure is
:02:29. > :02:33.lower than normal and allows the surface of the water to rise up in a
:02:34. > :02:38.watery bulge. Strong winds can then push this bulge towards the coast.
:02:39. > :02:42.If this happens at the same time as high tide, huge waves with spill
:02:43. > :02:47.over into the surrounding area and cause flooding. 60 years ago a
:02:48. > :02:53.similar thing happened. The Great Storm of 1953 battered the East
:02:54. > :02:57.Coast. 326 lives were lost as the sea flooded large areas. Today no
:02:58. > :03:02.chances are being taken and Britain's better equipped to cope
:03:03. > :03:06.with the extreme weather. As we watch and wait to see the full
:03:07. > :03:09.effect of this tidal surge, the Environment Agency's doing
:03:10. > :03:14.everything they can to protect as many people as possible.
:03:15. > :03:17.Well, Saltny, which is in Flintshire in North Wales, is one of those
:03:18. > :03:23.places waiting nervously. A short time ago BBC reporter Judith Moritz
:03:24. > :03:27.sent us this report from there. The River Dee behind me has been raging
:03:28. > :03:31.for the last few hours. It is within its banks. It hasn't overtopped the
:03:32. > :03:37.side here. But the winds are very high as well,s you can see. I spoke
:03:38. > :03:41.to one head teacher who told me she is keeping in touch with a network
:03:42. > :03:45.of head teachers around this area just to check they should be keeping
:03:46. > :03:48.schools open. The schools here are open at the moment but they need to
:03:49. > :03:51.check that that is appropriate and that children can come and go
:03:52. > :03:54.safely. Let's quickly catch up with the
:03:55. > :03:57.day's other news, and the Chancellor, George Osbourne, has
:03:58. > :04:00.given a big speech about the state of the UK economy today. He said the
:04:01. > :04:03.country's money troubles were getting better, something that's
:04:04. > :04:06.backed up by the latest figures, but that the job of improving things
:04:07. > :04:10.wasn't yet finished. The opposition Labour Party say ordinary people are
:04:11. > :04:16.still not feeling the benefit and more needs to be done.
:04:17. > :04:22.He's the fastest man on two wheels and can ride at 50 mph. But despite
:04:23. > :04:27.winning 25 sprint stages at the Tour de France is cyclist Mark Cavendish,
:04:28. > :04:31.the Manx missile, faster than the world's biggest beast? Martin's been
:04:32. > :04:36.finding out in a special Newsround challenge.
:04:37. > :04:44.Number one, Cavendish versus a tiger. Tigers are pretty fast. But
:04:45. > :04:48.50 mph? No, I think I'm faster. You are right. A tiger goes at 35 miles
:04:49. > :04:52.per hour. Number two, the Peregrine falcon.
:04:53. > :04:57.That's pretty fast. I would say that's faster. You are right. The
:04:58. > :05:01.falcon goes at 535 miles per hour. Stay warm and safe wherever you are.
:05:02. > :05:03.I'm back ever 7. Bye-bye.