Storm Doris Disrupts Port Operations in Liverpool

Published Feb 23, 2017 9:17 PM by The Maritime Executive

[Brief] On Thursday, Peel Ports briefly closed the Port of Liverpool due to the extreme weather conditions brought by Storm Doris.

"The Port of Liverpool is closed as we are experiencing 100mph gusts of wind," the firm said in a statement. "All operations are stood down for the safety of our employees, contractors and customers of the port."

Photos posted to social media showed shipping containers blown over onto the road leading to Liverpool’s Seaforth Docks. In an update, Peel Ports announced that the port would reopen at 1700 hours GMT.

In addition to the service interruptions at the ports, the Mersey Ferries crossings were briefly suspended; the QE2, Severn and Orwell bridges were closed; and Scotland’s M80 highway was blocked by snow. So far, the storm has claimed only one life – a woman killed in Wolverhamption by a falling piece of a roof. The high winds onshore are expected to ease overnight as Storm Doris moves out over the North Sea.