Storm Bert forces Plymouth's Winter Wonderland to close tomorrow

Plymouth's Winter Wonderland has been forced to close on Saturday due to "severe weather conditions" brought on by Storm Bert. The weather front isn't due to arrive in the UK until tomorrow, but has already rained on the festive season in the city.

The Met Office warns of dangerous weather conditions over the weekend, with two severe warnings in place between Saturday and Sunday. Heavy rain is expected to cause flooding in some communities, while wind gusts of up to 70mph may cause "danger to life".

The festival, which opened it's doors to the city last week, has said it will be closed on Saturday, November 23 after agreeing with safety organisers it "would not be safe to open". Confirming the news on Facebook, festival bosses hope to reopen on Sunday after reassessing the weather conditions.

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The post goes on to say that anyone who bought tickets for the ice rink tomorrow will be refunded.

Winter Wonderland said: "Due to severe weather conditions, including Storm Bert and the forecasted strong winds and heavy rain, we will be closed on Saturday, 23rd November 2024. Your safety is our top priority, and after consulting with the land owners, we have agreed with our safety and event organisers that it would not be safe to open.

"If weather conditions change and improve we will update everyone in the morning. Ice Rink Tickets - Anyone who has purchased tickets for the ice rink tomorrow will receive a refund of their purchase with more info to follow."

Storm Bert is due to arrive in the South West on Saturday and Sunday, with strong winds of more than 70mph possible across coastal parts of the region. Met Office meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “Heavy rainfall will affect much of the UK this weekend. Rain is expected to develop during Saturday morning across southwest and southern England, becoming particularly heavy and persistent overnight and into Sunday.

“Accumulations of 50-75 mm are expected to fall fairly widely during this time. There is a chance that some places over Dartmoor for example, could see 100-150 mm. In addition, rapid melting of lying snow over the weekend may bring flooding for some.”

He added: "Storm Bert is what we call a ‘multi-hazard event’, bringing snow, rain and wind to the UK for the majority of the weekend. Multiple National Severe Weather Warnings are in place and will be added to and amended over the weekend. It’s possible this may be at short notice, so it is important people keep up to date with the very latest forecast."