Storm Eunice: Clean-up continues amid wind warnings

More strong winds could hamper clean-up work after 92mph (148km/h) gusts battered parts of Wales on Friday.

Thousands of homes are still without power after Storm Eunice caused widespread disruption. Trees were felled, lorries toppled over, and all trains were cancelled.

A Met Office yellow warning for wind covering south and mid Wales was in place until 18:00 GMT.

"These conditions on Saturday may hamper any clear-up," it said.

A further yellow warning for wind for the whole of Wales is in place from noon on Sunday until 15:00 on Monday.

Almost 4,000 homes are still without power, according to Western Power, with Scottish Power restoring electricity to all its customers in north and mid Wales by midday Saturday.

Rhys ap Tegwyn, from Llandyfriog in Ceredigion, said he hoped to have power restored by Saturday evening, after losing supply on Friday morning.

"It was a bit of a shock for our teenage girls - they're so used to Wi-Fi, but they stayed the night with relatives," he said.

"We have a huge stock of candles and our oven uses bottled gas.

"At the end of the day we have a roof over us and we're thankful for that."

Winifred Morgan, 87, has been staying with her friend since losing power at her home in Porthcawl, Bridgend county, on Friday at about 11:00.

"Luckily my friend Linda has taken me in until the power is restored so I can stay warm as I have no form of heating in my house," she said.

The Welsh Premiership rugby games involving Aberavon and Llanelli, and Ebbw Vale versus Carmarthen Quins have also been postponed because of waterlogged pitches.

Meanwhile, warm drinks and biscuits are being offered to anyone without power by Amman United RFC in Glanamman, Carmarthenshire.

Sarah Davies, of the rugby club, said: "It's a community we should all be helping each other out to be honest with you.

"People are cold, angry, fed-up and bored.

"A lot of other people are reaching out to offer help over Facebook. There are homes in the community, doing similar things - we aren't the only ones; but a lot of families were really grateful we were able to step in."

The clean-up is also underway in Aberystwyth, where slates were blown off buildings, according to Richard Griffiths of the Richmond Hotel.

He said: "We were lucky. When they fly, they fly everywhere, and they're just like bits of confetti.

"As a result we're very fortunate nobody got injured."

Several roofs were torn from buildings, with damage at the Co-op petrol station in Pontypridd Road in Barry, Carmarthen railway station, the gym at Merthyr Tydfil's Bishop Hedley school, and a school at Manorbier, Pembrokeshire.

And clean up work is continuing at Tywyn in south Gwynedd where 16 residents had to evacuated when Storm Eunice ripped off the roofing on two blocks of flats.

An Asda supermarket in Merthyr Tydfil had to be evacuated on Friday after cladding came loose from the front of the shop's entrance.

Cardiff Council said Victoria Park was due to reopen on Saturday following clean-up work after the storm.

Prof Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, said imposing a rare red weather warning for parts of Wales on Friday allowed people and local authorities to "batten down the hatches".

"Damage and disruption was pretty widespread," she told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

Saturday's less severe yellow warning for winds of up to 60mph (97km/h) covers Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen and Vale of Glamorgan.

Ioan Williams, from Natural Resources Wales, said people should "continue to be vigilant", with more windy weather to come as well as heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday.

"That could trigger some flood alerts and some flood warnings," he said.

Bill Kelly, route director for Wales and borders for Network Rail, said there was "substantial damage" across the rail system.

"We are endeavouring to get as many routes open as we can... so please do check before you travel," he said.

Transport for Wales also advised travellers to check its rail schedule via journeycheck.com with "significant disruption" expected to continue into Sunday.

Both Severn bridges between Wales and England were forced to close on Friday, although the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge has since reopened.

But other roads still remain closed due to fallen trees and debris, according traffic analysts Inrix.

Multiple trees have blocked the A484 between Cynwyl Elfed and Bronwydd Arms in Carmarthenshire.

Fallen power cables have closed Swansea's Bishopston Road from Church Lane to Pyle Road.

And traffic lights have "collapsed" on Swansea's A483 Fabian Way, near the Amazon distribution centre.

Meanwhile, volunteers have come forward to help with a clean-up at Greenacres Rescue, in Little Haven, Pembrokeshire, where rabbit and geese enclosures were blown around "like they were dolls houses".

A roof blew off a stable and the main office - a static caravan - was "torn apart" but no animals were hurt and well-wishers pledged more than £2,000 to help with costs.

"We have had many offers of physical help and we now feel we have enough to get through the first few days of clean up," a post on the group's Facebook page said.

"We are thankful no-one was hurt and we've managed to keep all the animals safe and well."

People in parts of mid and north Wales woke up to snow on Saturday.

Photos posted by BBC Weather Watchers showed coverings in Conwy county, Denbighshire, Wrexham and Powys.