Objective Proficiency p 24. Severe Storm Hits the UK. Extra Listening

Southern Britain is 1_____________ a powerful storm with winds of up to 99 mph. The wind brings down 2_________________- at least 140.000 homes are 3__________. Many roads are blocked, train services 4______________ and some flights cancelled.
From Brighton beach we will be looking at how this storm has hit the south coast and then how it is moving 5_____________. 
We will be keeping you 6____________ with all the developments and the 7___________ and damage as the storm heads north and east.
A powerful storm is 8____________ parts of southern England and Wales this morning with heavy rain and hurricane 9__________ winds. So far the worst affected areas have been the South West, where roads have been blocked by 10______________. The strongest 11_________ of wind overnight measures 99 mph on the 12___________ of Wight. At the moment over 140.000 homes across southern England have 13____________ power. The Environment Agency has 14__________ 17 flood warnings all in south-west England with more than 150 flood alerts across England and Wales. Strong winds are predicted to continue into the afternoon. A 14-year-old boy 15___________ the sea in East Sussex is now 16_________________.
The worst of the storm has gone and is moving on. One of the BBC 17_______________, Alex Deacon is on the beach in Brighton, where the West Pier 18______________ some years ago.
 There is quite an angry, 19______________ sea here. It is 20_____________ the coastguards have  warned people about getting to close to it and getting 21________________ the sea. There is still the 22_______________ for some danger in parts of the country. The 23__________ are still, at times, very strong indeed. Brighton Pier, it is 24_______________, however the storm with that 90 mph wind, which was the highest, which is certainly of hurricane force was  just west of here.
In the early hours, powerful 25__________________a tree near Exeter. Part of a 26_________ of destruction as the storm 27____________ the south of the country. Falling trees damaged houses and 28___________ cars. Homes are flooded, tens of thousands of properties are still without power. 29______________ waves along the south coast announced the storm's arrival late last night and stronger than hurricane force gusts of 90 mph were recorded. Rescue teams 30____________ severe conditions searching for a 14-year-old boy.
As the working week begins, millions of 31_____________  faced destruction. Many roads have been closed or blocked. Air passengers could face problems too with around 130 flights cancelled. Most rail companies in the south are running greatly reduced services.
Network Rail says falling trees and 32_____________ have caused major issues.
South of the river there have been more than 30 incidents of line 33______________  by trees 34______________. In four cases one of the inspection trains hit the tree.
But there may be some hope in sight.
This storm is in and as the morning 35__________ goes on it is going to take the strongest winds further east. By the end of the morning though,  it has gone. It is out of the way and the weather starts to 36___________________.
The storm may be passing soon but we will have to wait much longer to learn  the extent of the damage it has cost.
That is the picture as this storm has moved through the night. For most people the worst of the storm has happened while they were in bed, while they were 37_________, which is probably a good thing. For many, the worst of it has gone through. Rather than getting my 38____________________, let's get Alex Deacon's, particularly for anyone who has not been actually hit by this yet.
The storm came in pretty much 39_______________, the centre of a 40__________ getting into the south of England last night. It has been 41____________ across the South Midlands. Now it is escaping away from northern parts of East Anglia. It is on the southern 42__________ of that that we have seen the strongest winds. So for the next hour or so really it's parts of East Anglia that are going to get these very strong winds, 70 or 80 mph, possibly a bit more. That is the area for the next hour or so, the satellite picture shows how the storm is moving across. The bright colours, the bright cloud is where the heaviest rain is. That's sort of on the northern 43___________of it. So you have either had the heavy rain or the strong winds. Some places in the middle have had a combination of the two. It is on the backside of the little 44_____________, the backside of the low where we have had these very strong winds.
Here on Brighton beach, I don't know if it comes across on camera, but it is still blowing very strongly. It still 45_______________ very strongly



 KEY

1. battered by
batter: to hit somebody/something hard many times, especially in a way that causes serious damage. E.g. Severe winds have been battering the north coast.



2. power lines
power line:  a thick wire that carries electricity. E.g. overhead power lines



3. cut off ( to stop the supply of something to somebody. E.g. Our water supply has been cut off. They were cut off for not paying their phone bill.)



4. suspended
suspend: to officially stop something for a time; to prevent something from being active, used, etc. for a time. E.g. Production has been suspended while safety checks are carried out. 



5. onwards 



6. up-to-date 



7. disruption (disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process. E.g. disruptions to rail services) 



8. battering 
batter: to hit somebody/something hard many times, especially in a way that causes serious damage. E.g. Severe winds have been battering the north coast.



9. force



10. flash flooding (a sudden flood of water caused by heavy rain)



11. gust ( a sudden strong increase in the amount and speed of wind that is blowing. E.g. A gust of wind blew his hat off. The wind was blowing in gusts).



12. isle



13. disrupted
disrupt something to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal way. E.g. Demonstrators succeeded in disrupting the meeting. Bus services will be disrupted tomorrow because of the bridge closure.



14. issued 
issue something (to somebody) to make something known formally. E.g. They issued a joint statement denying the charges. The police have issued an appeal for witnesses. 



15. swept into
sweep somebody/something + adverb/preposition to move or push somebody/something suddenly and with a lot of force. E.g. The little boat was swept out to sea. Their tent was swept away in the storm. She let herself be swept along by the crowd. 




16. feared dead 



17. forecasters 



18. burned down 



19. boiling
boil (with something) if you boil with anger, etc. or anger, etc.boils inside you, you are very angry. E.g. He was boiling with rage. 



20. no wonder 



21. involved with 



22. potential 



23. gusts



24. still standing



25. gusts flattened 



26.  trail (a long line or series of marks that is left by somebody/something. E.g. a trail of blood. Tourists who leave a trail of litter everywhere they go. The hurricane left a trail of destruction behind it).



27. surged across
surge: /sɜːdʒ/ to move quickly and with force in a particular direction. The gates opened and the crowd surged forward. Flood waters surged into their homes. He surged past the other runners on the last lap. 



28. crushed 
crush somebody/something to press or squeeze something so hard that it is damaged or injured, or loses its shape. E.g. The car was completely crushed under the truck. They crush the olives with a heavy wooden press. Several people were crushed to death in the accident. 



29. Pounding
Pound: to hit something/somebody hard many times, especially in a way that makes a lot of noise. E.g. Heavy rain pounded on the roof. 



30. battled 



31. commuters 



32. debris 



33. blockages
blockage: a thing that blocks flow or movement, for example of a liquid in a narrow place.



34. blown down 



35. rush-hour 



36. quieten down 



37. asleep 



38. amateur version 



39. as forecast 



40. low 



41. tracking 
Track [no object, with adverbial of direction] follow a particular course:the storm was tracking across the ground at 30 mph 



42. flank (the side of something such as a building or mountain. E.g. The sun lit up the western flank of the hill. 



43. edge  



44. swirl /swɜːl/ a pattern or an object that twists in circles. E.g. The material is yellow with blue swirls on it. The cakes were topped with swirls of cream. 



45. gusts
gust (V) to suddenly blow very hard. E.g. winds gusting up to 60 mph. The wind gusted through the branches.





Southern Britain is battered by a powerful storm with winds of up to 99 mph
The wind brings down power lines- at least 140.000 homes are cut off. Many roads are blocked, train services suspended and some flights cancelled.
From Brighton beach we will be looking at how this storm has hit the south coast and then how it is moving onwards. 
We will be keeping you up-to-date with all the developments and the disruption and damage as the storm heads north and east.
A powerful storm is battering parts of southern England and Wales this morning with heavy rain and hurricane force winds. So far the worst affected areas have been the South West, where roads have been blocked by flash flooding. The strongest gust of wind overnight measures 99 mph on the isle of Wight. At the moment over 140.000 homes across southern England have disrupted power. The Environment Agency has issued 17 flood warnings all in south-west England with more than 150 flood alerts across England and Wales. Strong winds are predicted to continue into the afternoon. A 14-year-old boy swept into the sea in East Sussex is now feared dead.
It is still blowing strongly here. The worst of it has gone through the south coast, the storm is moving on. I will be talking to one of our forecasters, Alex Deacon, who is down there on the beach in Brighton with me.
That is the West Pier, by the way, which burned down some years ago.
 There is quite an angry, boiling sea here. It is no wonder the coastguards have  warned people about getting to close to it and getting involved with the sea. We had that 14-year-old boy who went missing yesterday just down the coast from here. There is still the potential for some danger in parts of the country. The gusts are still, at times, very strong indeed. Brighton Pier, it is still standing, however the storm with that 90 mph gust, which was the highest, which is certainly of hurricane force was  just west of here on the isle of Wight.
In the early hours, powerful gusts flattened a tree near Exeter. Part of a trail of destruction as the storm surged across the south of the country. Falling trees damaged houses and crushed cars. Homes are flooded, tens of thousands of properties are still without power. Pounding waves along the south coast announced the storm's arrival late last night and stronger than hurricane force gusts of 90 mph were recorded off the isle of Wight. Rescue teams battled severe conditions searching for a 14-year-old boy who was feared dead after being swept to sea in East Sussex.
As the working week begins, millions of commuters faced destruction. Many roads have been closed or blocked. Air passengers could face problems too with around 130 flights cancelled at Heathrow airport. Most rail companies in the south are running greatly reduced services.
Network Rail says falling trees and debris have caused major issues.
South of the river so far we have found more than 30 incidents of line blockages by trees blown down. In four cases we have had one of our inspection trains hit the tree. I think we did the right thing.
But there may be some hope in sight.
This storm is in and as the morning rush-hour goes on it is going to take the strongest winds further east , across parts of southern, central and eastern England with further potentially damaging gusts of wind and disruption. By the end of the morning though,  it has gone. It is out of the way and the weather starts to quieten down.
The storm may be passing soon but we will have to wait much longer to learn  the extent of the damage it has cost.
That is the picture as this storm has moved through the night. For most people the worst of the storm has happened while they were in bed, while they were asleep, which is probably a good thing. For many, the worst of it has gone through. Rather than getting my amateur version, let's get Alex Deacon's, particularly for anyone who has not been actually hit by this yet. Give us an idea of the progression of the storm. While you are talking we will have a look at the satellite map of this.
The storm came in pretty much as forecast, the centre of a low getting into the south of England last night. It has been tracking across the South Midlands. Now it is escaping away from northern parts of East Anglia. It is on the southern flank of that that we have seen the strongest winds. So for the next hour or so really it's parts of East Anglia that are going to get these very strong winds, 70 or 80 mph, possibly a bit more. That is the area for the next hour or so, the satellite picture shows how the storm is moving across. The bright colours, the bright cloud is where the heaviest rain is. That's sort of on the northern edge of it. So you have either had the heavy rain or the strong winds. Some places in the middle have had a combination of the two. It is on the backside of the little swirl, the backside of the low where we have had these very strong winds.
Here on Brighton beach, I don't know if it comes across on camera, but it is still blowing very strongly. It still gusts very strongly