Britain battered by severe storm

Thousands of people were evacuated from their homes on Sunday night as Storm Franklin battered the UK, causing at least one river to burst its banks. 

At least 400 homes were evacuated in South Manchester after the authorities issued two severe flood warnings. An emergency center was created at Didsbury Mosque for families that were told to leave their homes with nowhere else to stay.

The River Don in Sprotbrough, South Yorkshire bursts its banks on Sunday evening. Police said that many of the area's footpaths were under water. The River Severn also came close to bursting its banks in Shropshire.

Images shared on social media show the extent of the flooding. 

Several train operators, including the TransPennine Express (TPE), have urged customers to “avoid travel if possible” on Monday. Some tracks have been afflicted by falling trees and others are expected to be out of action due to gale-force winds.

While areas of the north appeared most afflicted, some train services around London were also down. 

The UK’s Meteorological Office had issued a number of warnings for floods and wind. Scotland was covered by 18 flood warnings while Wales was covered by 26 flood warnings and 48 flood alerts.

Around 15,700 homes were understood to be without electricity on Sunday evening. By comparison, some 1.4 million properties lost power in a 24-hour-period on Friday after Storm Eunice battered the UK and Ireland.

Storm Eunice came just days after Storm Dudley hit the UK and Ireland.