Dougie Beattie has been branded a “national treasure” by GB News viewers after braving treacherous conditions on the Portaferry Road in Northern Ireland for a live report on The People's Channel.
As flooding and high winds swept through the area, viewers emailed GB News with concern for the reporter’s safety saying, “I am so worried about him”, while others called for him to be given a hot drink and some dry clothing.
Speaking after his appearance on screen, Ellie Costello said: "Poor Dougie but lots of you are very concerned about his welfare, saying that we need to get him wrapped up in a blanket and give him a nice cup of tea.
"Adrian says, 'poor Dougie, please go and sit in the dry and have a wee dram'. Marian says, 'we’ve got a power cut here in Herefordshire'.”
TRENDING
Stories
Videos
Your Say
"'Esme says, 'please can somebody get Dougie a hot drink and some dry clothing? He’s drenched. I’m so worried about him. We love Dougie. He is a national treasure'.'
Ellie added: "Our Dougie is very tough, don’t worry."
Speaking on Britain's News Channel this morning, Dougie said: "This is a real drizzly rain that soaks you straight through.
"Lucky enough, we have our big, dry robes on us. We’re well prepared: wet trousers, Wellington boots, a whole lot. If it was light enough, you could actually see the water running down behind us.
GB News viewers shared their concern for The People's Channel reporter
|GB NEWS
"I’m standing in it, and the water is coming, streaming down like a river, off the lands and fields beside us and out onto this road.
"That flood is right out over the top of their wheels. We’ll probably, in the next hour or so, stay on this Portaferry Road to see what’s happening and see how many people really want to come out and brave the storm.”
Storm Chandra has prompted the Met Office to issue amber warnings for rain across the South West of England on Tuesday, with Bournemouth, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay all affected.
Forecasters anticipate between 30 and 50mm of rainfall in parts of Devon, Somerset, Dorset and southeast Cornwall, with higher ground such as south Dartmoor potentially receiving 60 to 80mm.
LATEST ON STORM CHANDRA
WATCH: Dougie Beattie branded 'national treasure' by GB News viewers as they say 'I am so worried about him'
Exposed coastal areas could experience gusts reaching 60 to 70mph.
The storm has also triggered snow warnings covering 27 areas across northern England and Scotland, where up to 20cm could accumulate on higher ground in the Pennines, southern Scotland and the Highlands.
Met Office chief forecaster Paul Gundersen described it as "a complex spell of weather" and urged people to stay updated with forecasts and warnings in their area.
National Highways has closed several major routes in the South West due to the hazardous conditions, including the A30 in East Devon, the A303 on the Somerset-Devon border, and the A35 in Dorset, all rendered impassable by significant flooding.
The travel authority has advised motorists to avoid unnecessary journeys and warned against attempting to drive through standing water.
Ground saturation from the recent passage of Storm Goretti and Storm Ingrid has exacerbated the flooding risk, with drainage systems struggling to cope with the volume of water.
Specialist crews have been deployed to assess culverts, gullies and ditches for blockages caused by debris, while pumps are being used where large volumes of water have accumulated.
Power disruption has also been reported, with at least one viewer confirming an outage in Herefordshire.