One dead, one missing as storm batters Britain

A woman died and a pensioner was missing Tuesday as flash floods and strong winds swept across Britain, stranding a ferry carrying 150 people for 26 hours.

The 39-year-old woman was rescued from the sea off England's south coast early Tuesday, but later died in hospital, according to Kent Police.

"A 39-year-old lady rescued from the sea in Folkestone has sadly passed away despite efforts from emergency services to save her," said the force.

South Wales Police on Tuesday also resumed the search for Russell Sherwood, 69, who disappeared after setting off on a car journey as "Storm Angus" first hit on Sunday.

Fading light and bad weather had earlier forced rescue teams to call off their search.

"This remains a difficult search in very testing conditions," police chief Simon Davies said.

"The river is very swollen and fast flowing, and as such specialist officers with specialist equipment are conducting the search."

Elsewhere, howling gales marooned a ferry off the Welsh coast after it was judged to be too dangerous to dock.

The 150 passengers on board eventually reached land at Fishguard, south Wales, at 11:00am (1100 GMT), having spent over a day in the Irish Sea.

Rail operator Network Rail warned commuters of "major disruption" on some routes while hundreds of homes were left without power in north east England.

The Environment Agency issued 16 flood warnings across England and Wales, advising people to take immediate action, and 118 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.

Costa Rica orders evacuations for hurricane threat
San Jos (AFP) Nov 22, 2016 - Costa Rica on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of residents along its Caribbean coast to avoid fatalities from the approaching Tropical Storm Otto, which is forecast to grow into a hurricane.

"I ask the country to remain calm and help in the evacuation process, which will start immediately and firmly," President Luis Guillermo Solis told a news conference.

"We will not allow people to remain in at-risk areas and loss of human life."

Otto was on Tuesday several hundred miles out over the Caribbean sea with winds up to 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour, the US National Hurricane Center in Florida said on its website.

It forecast the storm would move west overnight and could strengthen into a hurricane Wednesday before approaching Costa Rica and Nicaragua by Thursday.

The center warned of a risk of deadly flooding and mud slides.