13/02/2014 BBC News at One

Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are still without power

after gale force winds battered parts of the UK. Roofs ripped from

buildings, trees uprooted and power lines brought down. In Wales, the

clear up gets under way after more than Wash after winds of more than

100 miles an hour. Dreams bring down power lines, road and rail links are

blocked with more than one months's rainfall predicted for the next few

days. The River Thames could reach its highest level for 60 years.

People are forced to abandon their homes but some say they have to

stay. Are you going to leave? No. Why? Nowhere else to go. We will get

the latest from our correspondents around the country. George Osborne

is backed by Labour and the Lib Dems as he warns Scots of the financial

risks of independence. If Scotland walks away from the UK, it walks

away from the UK pound. Nearly 3 million people have new workplace

pensions but concerns they are still not saving enough. Royal backing,

the three Princes join the campaign to fight the illegal trade in

trafficking wildlife. Oh, they have gone down! They have all gone down

in fact. Thrills and spills as Team GB's medal hope Elise Christie goes

for gold in a dramatic final of the short track speed skating -- speed

skating in Sochi. Later on BBC London, a brief respite

for flood-hit communities in Surrey and Berkshire but more heavy rain is

on the way. And warnings for those affected by flooding to protect

themselves against harmful bacteria in dirty water.

Hello and welcome to the BBC News At One. Tens of thousands of homes are

without power across the UK after hurricane force storms brought chaos

to the road and rail network. Worst hit, Wales and the north-west of

England. Urgent repair work is under way to clear debris from the rail

lines and replace overhead power cables. Severe flood warnings remain

in place in south-west and south-east England, with a warning

that a month's rain will fall in the next few days. In Worcester, the

River Severn has reached a new record level and the Thames is

expected to reach its highest level for 60 years. The come at -- the

Cabinet committee on flood recovery met for the first time this morning

with a government promise of more money to help. We will hear from our

correspondents across the worst affected areas. First to Hywel

Griffiths, in Porthmadog in North Wales.

Simon, the high winds may have subsided overnight but it was only

really this morning that we were truly able to see the full scale of

the damage they caused. Roofs are being ripped off, trees which lasted

for centuries torn out of the ground. After several weeks of

severe weather, people here are having to face up to yet another day

of disruption to their lives. After the chaos, some calm. But

yesterday's hurricane strength winds have left their mark. It was just

horrendous. It was just like a tornado. The wound was gradually

getting worse all-day and about 4pm,

getting worse all-day and about stunned when this roof took flight

over Porthmadog station and was carried on the wind. It ripped the

canopy of the front of the building and threw it over the roof. It took

the chimney and landed in the beer garden. So this has come from the

other side? The other side, yes. Along the West Wales coast, wind

speeds reached 108 miles per hour. Static caravans suddenly became

mobile. Trees torn up from their roots. In its wake the storm has

left plenty of hard work and hardwood scattered on the roads.

They have been uprooted like they were little trees really. It was

quite scary when we came here because the wind was blowing

branches across the road and everybody will came out of the

vehicles and help to clear the road. These repairs simply adds to the

millions and millions of pounds worth of work that was already

needed after several weeks of severe weather. In the meantime people are

being warned to remain patient and expect delays on the roads and on

the rails. Tens of thousands of homes are spending a second day

without power. A lucky few can call on generators, but others have been

left exposed to the elements for some time. Terrible, very

frightening for people especially in the evening when there was no

electricity. There is now a race to make repairs before the next set of

gales arrive tomorrow. There may be a few who relish these conditions,

but most now wish this rough ride would come to an end.

Yes, plenty of concern over what the next few days will bring. While we

may not see hurricane force gales batter West Wales are going for some

time, weeks and weeks of damage are really starting to show and I think

people here are simply fed up of Britain's severe winter.

Gale force winds have left nearly 80,000 homes without power. Gusts of

112 miles an hour were recorded on top of the Pennines in Cumbria and

there is while spread -- there is widespread chaos on road and rail

networks. Danny Savage is in Tebay. This is a windy day in north-west

England but it is nothing compared to the conditions last night. The

problems caused by what happened are numerous. If you can see over my

shoulder here, in the last few minutes they have pulled this lorry

up right with all the stuff falling out of the side. That is the

southbound side of the M6, that is closed at the moment while they try

and sort that out but that is one of numerous problems across the

north-west of England today. It was only supposed to be closed for a few

hours last night at the heart of the storm but this morning services on

the West Coast Main Line was still disrupted because of the hurricane

force winds. This is midway between Preston and Carlisle. The stretch of

line worst affected today. The problem has been this morning that a

tree has fallen on overhead power lines north of Preston, which is

causing delays to trains going north but not too bad going south. But all

the delays on the departure board here are a legacy from last night's

mother. Those that did decide to travel all had a tail to tell but

accepted things were worse elsewhere. I have lattice fencing

down the left-hand side of my garden and half of it has been demolished

overnight, so yes, it was rough. But compared to what the rest of the

country is going through, how does it feel? We are very lucky. We

haven't had the flooding. Just getting to the stage and would have

been a challenge last night. A tree blocked the main road nearby. One of

many down across northern England. Further west in Barrow, several

buildings were damaged and roads closed. This exposed an insular took

a battering. In Manchester there were problems as well. The outside

stairs on these facts were blown away. People here had to climb down

scaffolding to get out. In Cumbria, the M6 on its highest stretch near

Shap littered with lorries, toppled by side wins. Moving them had to

wait until the winds eased. Back on the railways the most alarming

incident was at Crewe station, where the roof blew off. Probably the most

scary situation we have been in or I have been in in 16 years of the

railway with regards to whether. Because the gusts picked up very

quickly and very suddenly and the roof started to fly across the

station platforms and on the overheads. Things are improving but

the widespread effects of this extraordinary storm will be felt for

the rest of today. Recovery from wind was much quicker than floods.

Up until a few minutes ago I was hoping to stand here and say despite

all of that there were no serious incidents or injuries but sadly we

have heard in the last few minutes that a motorist has died in

Cheshire, after swerving to avoid a fallen tree. Anybody who experienced

those conditions last night would have expected to wake up this

morning to things a lot worse than they actually are. The government is

making more money available for the recovery after what has happened

here over the last 24 hours or so but it will have no affect on these

ongoing incidents today. Things hopefully by the end of today will

get a lot better. Danny Savage. A pensioner who died

of suspected of electrocution because of a fallen tree has been

named. Roger Haywood died yesterday afternoon Wiltshire. Police believe

the 71-year-old was attempting to move tree which have brought down

power cables when he was electrocuted.

There are fears that the River Severn in Worcester, which has

already passed its highest recording level, could rise still further. A

number of roads in the city are impossible. Phil Mackie is in

Worcester forums. This is why the city is effectively

divided in half at the moment. This is the new road. The water is too

deep to let water through. They are running shuttle bus service to try

to keep Worcester connected. Let me bring you round this way. You will

see more of the activity that is going on. We have seen a few Army

vehicles arriving. You might be able to make them out in the distance.

Plus the Environment Agency, the police, the local authority, they

are having a meeting in 20 minutes to decide is going to be happening

next but the real problem is here. Let's bring you down to the River

Severn. You can see how much water there is at the moment. So much

coming downstream. These are record levels. They have peaked for the

time being but they may go up against slightly over the next few

minutes, the next few days and the next few hours. All these people

have turned up to take their pictures today. Normally places that

are flooded day, please don't come in, we don't want blood tourists,

but business is being affected so badly at the moment they would

rather see people come along, take pictures and spend money in the

town. Everyone has been saying there will be more bad weather. In an

extra 24 hours who knows what will happen but there is a fear of more

peaks along here and further downstream into tomorrow and the

weekend. Phil Mackie, thank you. The River

Thames has -- is at its highest level for 60 years and a lot more

rain is forecast. Hundreds of properties along its banks have been

flooded and dozens of homes have been left abandoned. Our

correspondent Duncan Kennedy is in Marlow for us.

It is hard to believe that you have to go back to the 1950s to sea

levels on the River Thames like this and you might say, it is not on the

River Thames, you are standing in a field and that is true because the

River Thames is 100 yards overbearing their end has come

surging across this field. In fact, there is we're over there with a

measuring stick and it shows the levels have risen between six and

seven feet in the last few days -- there is a weir over there. We'd

bring you pictures, we don't always get a full picture of what is going

on which is why yesterday we took a boat onto the River Thames, the

surging River Thames, to get up close to those people who live there

and the communities suffering with all this water. Have a look at this.

The Thames valley from the Thameside. The river scene from

where the floods are coming from and the misery it is bringing to

hundreds of homes. We are from the BBC. We first came across Stephen

and Paul in a house surrounded by a deep, swirling torrent. How

frightening is that being in all this water? It is very frightening,

you have to keep your nerve basically. But you can really lose

it. You have just got keep your head on and carry on really. Will you

stay? Yes. The line between richer and land has completely gone here.

As we approached one house, our boat was sucked against a wooden post.

The currents and sheer volume of water are lethal. The house belongs

to Jason McBride. Just look how deep and dangerous it is here. Are you

going to leave? No. Why? Nowhere else to go. My mum lives there, we

are not going to leave without my mum. We have no choice. Not really.

It is only when you get onto the water itself, on the Thames, that

you get an idea of how bad this flooding is. Property after poverty

abandoned. The waters in the house and the owner no longer able to live

there. The Environment Agency says around 1000 homes are under water.

We tried to find out if anyone is left. Hello #! But most are empty.

Some are still working on the river but only on the top floor. When I

shout to see if they are OK... Very bad. The answer is clear. For those

who do risk staying here it is water and keeping supplied that are the

biggest problems. Today, it is not mice with the wind. It is a very

strong wind and you get buffeted about but it is one of those things.

And the endless rain will feed again into this river, keeping its

swollen, unforgiving and abandoned. I don't mind telling you it was

pretty frightening on the river yesterday. The surging River

Thames, you have to admire the courage of some of those people

living there and there could be more trouble on the way because it has

been tipping down here in the Thames valley over the past few days and

the Environment Agency tellers there is a time lag between two and seven

days for the water to come off the hills of Oxfordshire and search a

game down through the Thames valley, creating yet more problems

and misery for those people in their homes. Duncan Kennedy, thank you. So

what has been causing the exceptional and prolonged rain and

winds battering so much of the UK? Our correspondent Richard Lister

looks at the reasons behind the recent extreme weather. It's the

kind of whether we happened in other parts the world. Ringing with it

stormy seas, the army on the streets, and vast areas under water.

If our recent weather seems somehow foreign, it's partly because it has

come a long way. These images show how the recent storms crossed the

Atlantic from America, the Jetstream bringing much of our weather, but it

is moving much faster than usual so storms in the USA have little time

to dissipate as they cross the ocean. What's happening now in

America suggests we have more wild weather to come. Their problem is

snow, even in the deep South, which may be due to a powerful arctic

weather system. We don't know what those storms will look like when

they get to us, but they are coming. The cold air is moving across the

north Atlantic and supercharging the Jetstream. The pattern across the

Atlantic will stay stuck and we will continue to see further storms,

lovably until the end of the month. Weather systems swell constantly

across the globe but assessing their affect on each other is hard. This

typhoon was the most powerful ever to hit when a blast of the

Philippines last year. One theory is this turbulence effect of the

Jetstream carrying weather to America. We don't know for sure. But

if these powerful storms are linked from Manila to Ross on Wye, the

global forecast may just seem a little more relevant to all of us.

And you can find out more about the awful weather conditions on the BBC

News website. And there are, of course, updates on your BBC local

radio station. It's just after 1:15pm. Our top story this

lunchtime. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are without

power after gale-force winds batter the UK, leading to huge disruption

to road and rail services. I'm at the Winter Olympics in Sochi

where Elise Christie thought should once Gilbert in the skating but

instead, there was only heartache. Later on BBC London. How moustaches

have helped to fund the UK's first centre dedicated to diagnosing

prostate cancer. And the teenage boxing promoter from Luton who's got

a former footballer on his fight card.

If you walk out on the UK, you walk out on the pound. That was the

warning from the Chancellor George Osborne this morning as he told

Scots that the Government would block a currency union with an

independent Scotland. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have also

made it clear that they too would not allow Scotland to retain the

pound. Scotland's Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, dismissed

the claims as the Westminster establishment trying to lay down the

law. Our Scotland Correspondent Lorna Gordon reports. It is

Scotland's capital and financial centre and it was here George

Osborne delivered his warning. A currency union with an independent

Scotland would not work and was not going to happen. Sharing the pound

is not in the interests of the people of Scotland or the rest of

the United Kingdom. The people at the rest of the UK would not accept

it. And Parliment wouldn't pass it. If Scotland walks away on the UK, it

walks away from the pound. Getting behind the Tory Chancellor are the

Liberal Democrats and Labour. Danny Alexander, Ed Balls and George

Osborne, unlikely allies, maybe, but all agree there will be no

negotiations. Scotland will not get to formally keep the pound. George

Osborne's speech was highly detailed and he took the unprecedented step

of publishing internal civil service advice. It's a ratcheting up of

pressure on the pro-independence politicians at Holyrood to give more

details about whether they have a currency plan B. The Scottish

Government say today's intervention amounts to bullying and bluff. Of

course, the Scottish Government's proposition should be subjected to

scrutiny. It has been and will continue to be, but the position

George Osborne has articulated today really requires some hard scrutiny

as well. When it does, doesn't withstand it and that's the

reality. What other currency options are on the table? One possibility is

an and formal currency union or the country could opt for a brand-new

currency and go it alone -- informal. Having its own currency

would give Scotland the most degrees of freedom, the most flexibility, to

run its own economic policy. It would give it the most flexibility

to respond in case a big shock hits, so it could move its own interest

rates, it could set its own spending and tax rates. And manage its own

death levels. Whatever side you're on, currency is key to this battle

and the Chancellor today raised the stakes in the fight over the future.

Well our chief economics correspondent Hugh Pym is here. This

is at the heart of the debate, isn't it? Yes, Simon, crucial to the

debate whether an independent Scotland would be able to carry on

using the pound. We have the Scottish Government claiming that

that would not be a problem, it could be negotiated with

Westminster, that in the last couple of weeks, strong attacks from the

Unionist parties saying that just wouldn't be possible. Culminating in

George Osborne Matt was comments today backed up by Ed Balls and

Danny Alexander. A Westminster government wouldn't allow it. We've

also had an intervention from the chief civil servant at the Treasury,

saying he, as a civil servant, not a politician, strongly advises against

a currency union. If Scotland did vote for independence in September,

the head of the Treasury would be advising the Chancellor you cannot

negotiate this. The pro-unionist campaign will see that as a pretty

strong argument for why a currency union couldn't happen for the

Bigley, the Scottish Government are saying this is part of the bluster

we will get in the run-up to the referendum and it's predictable what

the Treasury are saying. They take issue with the Treasury Machover 's

own analysis. They point to their own economic experts who helped them

draw up the currency union plan, who said in an article today, it

completely illogical to continue using the pound across the UK.

That's what a Westminster government would agree to. Politics may cloud

that view as a referendum approach. Thank you. The number of people

being signed up for new workplace pensions has reached almost three

million. Nine million will eventually join the schemes by 2018.

But there are worries that employers aren't putting enough in, as our

personal finance correspondent Simon Gompertz reports. The world's oldest

factory, in Derbyshire. After 230 years, they had started workplace

pensions, but will they be enough? Like millions, Julie has won for the

first time. She is 54, paying ?7 a month, and only likely to get around

?350 a year when she retires. If the state pension is not going to be as

good as it used to be, then, yeah, I'm doing this, and it's not going

to be brilliant. Her son, Gareth, 32, puts in ?12 a month, and will

get nearly 3000 a year but that's still a small fraction of his wage.

Having a mortgage, this is all I can afford to pay into it. The saviour

should be what added by the company but currently, across the UK, that's

not much. At the moment, employers have to put in at least 1% of a

worker's salary into a pension. They can put in more than that but we

have discovered from the biggest pension providers, that between two

thirds and 90% of companies put in no more than the absolute minimum.

With the costs involved, has to be attracting putting more money into

the pension, and employing more people to grow the business. John

Smedley is where the John in long johns comes from yet there is a

danger that the pensions will be pretty threadbare. Between them and

their employees, we need to get to a point where more money is going in,

otherwise the employees are going to be disappointed when they retire.

The pensions are a good start here, but you only get out what you put

in. Lloyds Bank, which is partly owned by the taxpayer, has announced

an 8% rise in the amount it pays in bonuses. It's also reported a profit

for the first time since 2010. ?415 million last year, compared with a

loss of ?606 million in 2012. The Prince of Wales says there's not a

moment to lose to stop the slaughter of elephants, rhino and other

endangered animals. With his two sons by his side, he warned an

international wildlife conference in London, that that the demands for

animal products must be curbed. Our royal correspondent Nicholas

Witchell reports. Two future British kings and Prince Harry as we don't

often see them. Taking the lead to mount a very public joint campaign

to combat the criminal gangs who are responsible for this. The slaughter

of tens of thousands of elephants and rhinoceros in Africa for their

tusks and horns. A trade which is now said to be the fourth most

lucrative criminal activity in the world. After drugs, arms and human

trafficking. And so, organised by the Buddhist government, largely at

the instigation of Prince Charles, delegates from 40 countries are

meeting in London to try to combat poaching and save endangered

wildlife. There is not a moment to lose if we are to save the species

whose loss will not only diminish us all, but also expose their abandoned

habitat to ever greater risk of destruction with dire consequences

for humanity. It is the demand for ivory and rhino horn in Asia Bigley

in China, which is driving the illegal trade. Today's meeting will

discourage the demand from consumers and intensify action against the

poaching gangs. Poachers think they can act with impunity. We will show

them they are wrong. The planning for this conference has been going

on for months, driven very much by Prince Charles. It wasn't helped, it

must be said, by the decision of William and Harry to go on a wild

boar hunt in Spain at the weekend. But the focus today is very much on

trying to find practical ways of reducing the killing of endangered

species in Africa and elsewhere. Three of Britain's best medal hopes

have been in action this morning at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. James

Woods in the freestyle skiing. Lizzy Yarnold who's going for gold in the

Skeleton. And Elise Christie, who made it into the final of the

women's 500 metres short track skating. Our sports correspondent

Andy Swiss is in Sochi. Yes, what drama we have seen here over the

last hour, and what disappointment for Elise Christie. She thought she

had one Briton's second medal of his Winter Olympics but instead of a

medal, there was only heartache. It was the final of drama, controversy

and, for Elise Christie, at a heartbreak. The 500 metres is not

her main event, but after scorching through the early rounds, she had a

shot at glory but the race descended into chaos. She was among three of

the four riders to crash leaving only one still standing. She got up,

got back skating and ultimately crossed the line second, seemingly

winning the silver medal, but seconds later, it was decided she

had caused the crash by clipping an opponent. For a matter of moments,

she was disqualified, and she will hope for better in her two other

events. I had the speed, so I moved up and, unfortunately, she hate me

off my feet and that meant I hate everybody else as I went down. --

hits me. Earlier, Briton's hopes in the Skeleton got off to the

smoothest start. It is the ultimate white knuckle ride and Lizzy Yarnold

is currently the best in the business. His first two Rand showed

white, fearless and near flawless. With two runs tomorrow, she is

nearly half a second ahead of their rivals, hefty lead in a sport of

tiny margins. His team-mate is down in 11. Lizzy Yarnold is halfway to

history and dreaming of gold. I was twisting and turning in my bed, so

exciting. I kept asking if it was time, and having to go back to

sleep, so now I've start of the competition and I'm really, really

pleased with how it's going so far. There are also high hopes for James

Woods. He was going for gold in the ski event. He has been battling a

hip injury this week but he flicked his way to a fine first run. It

briefly put in silver medal position but he has slipped back to finish

fifth, not too disappointed, though. There was good news for Britain Mac

boss women's curling team. The captain securing the second win of

their campaign with the very last stone as they beat China 8-7. Yes,

good day for the colonels, but what disappointment for Elise Christie.

She says she doesn't feel she was responsible for that crashed, but

says she accepts the decision and will hope for much better things in

her next two events over the course of the Winter Olympics. Thank you.

Time for a look at the weather. Here's Peter Gibbs. It is the calm

between the storm. The next system is not too far away.

Yesterday storm moving into the northern part of the North Sea.

Speckled cloud at the moment giving us a few showers but, yes, behind

me, the next batch is heading towards us. The third instalment of

the severe weather. More heavy rain. The rest of today, not as windy that

has been, that's for sure, but a few showers feeding through and a wintry

element across northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland. They

will gradually fade away this evening and overnight. Some long,

clear spells developing eventually, that behind me, this next batch of

rain moving in towards the south-west by the end of the night.

A sign of things to come tomorrow. I had of that, though, a cold start of

the day, actually, in the North. Temperatures close to freezing in

Scotland. Here and in Northern Ireland, northern England, too,

there could be ice about if things don't dampen down. East Anglia

looking quite chilly, too. Further south, we meet the rain. By 8am,

pushing in across the south-west, and we have an amber weather warning

from Cornwall right through to Dorset. And Somerset. A lot of rain

tomorrow, and they could be an inch in places, perhaps more of a higher

ground. That batch of rain working northwards through the day

accompanied by a strengthening wind. A little bit of snow in Wales, the

Pennines, as well, Northern Ireland, and southern Scotland. Behind that,

further heavy showers moving in and it turns milder in the south but

cold in the North. The contract has been driving the storms in recent

weeks. The storm setting in across the high ground of Scotland through

tomorrow evening, problems perhaps over the high-level routes, once

again, but in the south, the wind is the main focus for the problems. 70

mph in south-west Wales and along the south coast of England,

overnight into the early hours of Saturday morning, they could cause

problems accompanied by the high tide. Inland in the south-east, up

to 70 mph. Damaging wind potential for further destruction. I rather

stormy start of the weekend. Storms on Saturday. Less rain, it's

beginning to ease away. The trend continues into Sunday. Sunday looks

like a lovely day, dry virtually everywhere, bright. The wind will

ease down as well. Hopefully a sign of things to come. Perhaps, the

first glimpse of light at the end of the culvert.

Peter, thanks very much. Now a reminder of our top story this

lunchtime. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are without

power after gale-force winds batter the UK, leading to huge disruption

to road and rail services. That's