Major events have been cancelled, flood alerts issued and trees toppled as Storm Bert swept the county with wind and persistent rainfall. 

Weather warnings issued ahead of the storm warned of strong gusts and rainfall in the county, with additional snow and flood warnings in other parts of the UK.

But in the southeast temperatures remained unseasonably mild despite the wind and rain, with highs of 15°C on Saturday and 16°C recorded at Brize Norton on Sunday.

READ MORE: Storm Bert: Trees fall and events called off in Oxfordshire 

Transport was severely affected by difficult driving conditions caused by the wind and spray from the roads. National Highways issued advice for drivers to slow down and take care.

Four flood alerts were issued on Sunday across the county as well as a flood warning for Ginge Brook at Steventon as a result of Storm Bert. 

Flooding of property and roads was expected. Areas most at risk were High Street, Milton Lane, Kennel Lane, The Causeway, Barnett Road, Abingdon Road, St Michaels Way, Stonebridge Road, Franks Lane and Milton Mill. 

An Environment Agency statement said: "We expect river levels to fall during the day today before rising again this afternoon and this evening.

"Levels this evening are forecast to peak higher than levels last night, and higher than levels in January 2024, and therefore additional property flooding is possible."

Flood alerts were also issued for Ginge Brook, the River Evenlode from Moreton in Marsh to Cassington and also the River Glyme at Wootton and Woodstock. 

There were further flood alerts for the River Ray and its tributaries from Shipton Lee to and including Islip, as well as the River Thame, Horsenden Stream and Chalgrove Brook. 

Trees were falling overnight on Saturday, with roads blocked in Didcot, East Hendred, and Faringdon, and the county council warning of fallen branches on footpaths along the Thames.

Bus routes were also disrupted on Abingdon Road and in Banbury, and two Airline services were cancelled from Oxford to Heathrow Airport on Saturday afternoon.

Train lines also faced delays and cancellations as issues on Great Western Railway (GWR) lines in the southwest which affected Oxfordshire passenger’s journeys.

Some homes experienced power outages as the weather caused issues in patches across the county, with Scottish and Southern Electricity Network deploying extra engineers to repair damages and get the lights back on.  

Events were cancelled across the region both in anticipation of the storm and because of the damage it caused.

Many of the closures were festive, such as Oxford Christmas Market on Broad Street which closed on Saturday and reopened on Sunday afternoon.

Banbury Victorian Christmas market also closed on Sunday for the last day of the three-day event due to damage to stalls over Saturday night, to the disappointment of its stallholders and visitors.

Blenheim Palace in Woodstock came under fire from customers who complained about the country home’s handling of cancellations.

The palace’s Christmas events tickets, which include activities such as an illumination trail and Neverland afternoon tea, were cancelled and refunded for all of Sunday and Saturday morning.

READ MORE: Customers 'angry' at Blenheim Palace storm opening times 

Other disruptions included a Christmas light switch-on in Wantage being postponed, Oxford University parks closing for the day on Sunday, Cotswold wildlife park reducing its visitor numbers and Cogges Manor Farm in Witney closing its site.

Nationally, 80 per cent of November’s average monthly rainfall fell across the country in less than 48 hours.

READ MORE: Oxford Brookes criticised for 'toughness sheet' coaching

The forecast is looking brighter again in Oxfordshire from Monday, with sunny spells throughout the morning, though more rainfall is expected overnight tonight.

Help support trusted local news

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber you will get:            

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website        

  • Advert-light access             

  • Reader rewards             

  • Full access to our app