by Muvija M

LONDON/DUBLIN (Reuters) – Storm Bert lashed Britain with snow, rain and strong winds on Saturday, killing one person and closing several rail lines, bridges and roads.

The storm also hit Ireland, flooding roads in the west and cutting power to tens of thousands of customers.

A man in his 60s died after a tree fell on a car on the A34 motorway in southern England, local police said.

The runway at Newcastle Airport in northeast England was covered in snow, briefly disrupting flights.

In Scotland, some train services were suspended due to the weather, ScotRail said. The X Severn Bridge, which connects Wales to England, was closed due to strong winds, the National Highways website showed.

Snow-covered roads and stranded cars in parts of northern Britain.

Meteorologist Jason Kelly, chief meteorologist for the Met Office, called the storm a “multi-hazard event”, and said it was expected to bring snow, rain and wind to Britain for most of the weekend.

In Ireland, the heavy rain led to flooding in parts of the west coast, making some roads impassable. The Irish Meteorological Service issued a “status red” rain warning – its highest level – for counties Cork and Galway from Friday evening.

Floodwaters could be seen rising towards the tops of parked cars in the Donegal town of Killybegs.

Power company ESB Networks, which supplies energy to the whole of Ireland, said strong winds had led to blackouts affecting 60,000 homes, farms and businesses overnight, mostly in the west and north-west.

(Reporting by Muvija M in London and Padraic Halpin in Dublin; Editing by David Holmes and Frances Kerry)