First picture of girl, 17, fatally crushed by tree in her caravan: St Jude storm death toll rises to four as two die in gas explosion
- - At least 500,000 homes in southern England were without electricity after trees and
high-winds down power cables - - 17-year-old Bethany Freeman died today after a tree fell onto the static home she was
sleeping in at Hever, Kent - - Donal Drohan, 51, also killed in Watford, Hertfordshire, after his car was crushed during
morning rush hour - - Gas explosion triggered after tree fell on a main kills man and woman at home in Hounslow,
west London - - Dylan Alkins, 14, believed to have drowned yesterday after swimming with friends off
Newhaven, East Sussex - - PM David Cameron calls loss of life 'hugely regrettable' and pays tribute to work of the
emergency services - - Flash floods in Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex - and Environment Agency has 82
flood alerts in place - - Amendments and cancellations on First Capital Connect, Southeastern, Greater Anglia and
Stansted Express - - Also disruption on East Coast, c2c, First Great Western, Southern, Gatwick Express and
South West Trains - - Ferries from Poole and Weymouth to Guernsey & Jersey cancelled and hovercrafts to Isle
of Wight suspended - - 130 flights cancelled at London Heathrow Airport today but Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and
Bristol running as normal - - Have you taken any pictures of damage caused by St Jude's Storm? Send them to us at:
pictures@dailymail.co.uk
|
Victim: Bethany Freeman, 17, died being comforted by her mother after a tree crashed through her caravan and crushed her while she slept in her bed in Kent
A teenager killed by the St Jude's storm was comforted by her heartbroken mother before she died after hurricane-strength winds blew a tree onto her static home while she slept, it emerged today.
Bethany Freeman, 17, of Hever, Kent, was one of four people who lost their lives after Britain was battered by 100mph winds that ripped up trees and destroyed homes in a devastating ten hours.
During rush hour this morning Donal Drohan, 51, of Harrow, north-west London - but originally from Waterford in Ireland - was killed in Watford, Hertfordshire, when his Peugeot was crushed as he drove alone to work.
The wind also killed an unnamed man in his forties and woman who were pulled from the rubble of a home in Hounslow, west London, after a tree fell on a gas main and destroyed three houses with a huge explosion.
A 14-year-old boy, named locally as Dylan Alkins, is also feared dead after being swept out to sea in Newhaven, East Sussex yesterday afternoon. Following two days of searching the teenager has not been found.
Prime Minister David Cameron said today that the loss of life as a result of the bad weather was 'hugely regrettable'.
The St Jude's storm, the most dangerous for years, hit southern England with gusts of almost 100mph and left at least 500,000 homes without power after it struck at around 3am.
Millions of commuters were left stranded and warned not to travel unless it was essential, with at least 40 railway lines blocked, roads left impassable and hundreds of flights cancelled.
Problems continue this evening and could run into tomorrow's rush hour.
Thousands of properties were damaged in the winds, with even Buckingham Palace suffering two broken windows and a damaged roof.
Miss Freeman was the storm's first victim, and her mother Tess spoke to her while firefighters and neighbours fought to free her but she died soon after.
Scroll down for travel update and videos
Terrible accident: Bethany Freeman, 17, was crushed when this tree fell on her while she lay in bed (pictured). She was comforted by her mother but could not be saved
Wreckage: Police at the scene where a tree has fallen onto a car, reportedly killing the driver, on Lower High Street in Watford, Hertfordshire
Devastation: This home in Hounslow, west London, was destroyed by a gas explosion this morning after a tree fell on the property. Two people were caught in the rubble
Destruction: The scene at Bath Road in Hounslow, west London, today after a falling tree hit a gas main, causing an explosion during the major storm
Torn apart: An explosion involving three houses in Hounslow, west London. The wreckage of the front of the houses that were hit is pictured
Tragedies: Dylan Alkins, 14, is understood to have been swept out to sea and 51-year-old Donal Drohan from Harrow, right, who died today when his car was crushed
Neighbours Helen O'Connell and her partner Frederic Perdrix were at home next door, when Tess came round this morning urgently seeking help.
Miss O'Connell said: 'She came round here wanting some help. She was absolutely distraught. She said she had come out of her caravan this morning and had found the other caravan with her daughter in it had been flattened by a huge fallen tree. Tess said she could hear Beth speaking.
'She wanted our help to get her out. All the neighbours came out to try and help. A farmer came round with his JCB truck to try and lift the tree off the crushed caravan. It was awful. We were trying to console Tess while they tried to get Beth out. I think Tess was trying to talk to Beth, trying to comfort her.
'There was no power because the electricity had gone off so we couldn't use any power tools. Neighbours were rallying to find a petrol run chainsaw which eventually someone did. But eventually they said Beth had died and there was nothing anyone could do for her.'
Splash: A lady with a child in a pram gets an unwelcome soaking from a passing car in the Gateacre area of Liverpool, after heavy rain
fell over the country
Damage: Helena Woodford (left) cleans the outside of The Anchor pub in Tintern, South Wales, which flooded during heavy rain
and storms overnight. Polly Harrington, who runs the pub, is pictured (right) standing in the water while firefighters work
Difficult conditions: Flooding could be seen on the North Circular road in Highgate, north London, making it tough for cars to make their way through
A 17-year-old girl died today after a tree fell onto the static home she was sleeping in at Hever, Kent
Emergency services were called to the scene in Hever, Edenbridge, but the girl is believed to have died from her injuries
From above: An aerial view of a large conifer tree which fell on a caravan in Kent, killing a 17-year-old girl who was sleeping inside at
the time
As news of her death swept the rural community, her driving instructor Neil Chapman turned up at her home unaware she had been killed.
THE HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN BATTERING UK
STRONGEST WINDS
1) Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight – 99mph
2) Langdon Bay, Kent – 82mph
3) Isle of Portland, Dorset – 81mph
4) Andrewsfield, Essex – 79mph
5) Odiham, Hampshire – 78mph
1) Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight – 99mph
2) Langdon Bay, Kent – 82mph
3) Isle of Portland, Dorset – 81mph
4) Andrewsfield, Essex – 79mph
5) Odiham, Hampshire – 78mph
MOST RAINFALL
1) Otterbourne, Hampshire – 50mm
2) Wychcroft, East Sussex – 45.4mm
3) Cardiff – 44.8mm
4) Hurn, Dorset – 42mm
5) Wiggonholt, West Sussex – 37.2mm
1) Otterbourne, Hampshire – 50mm
2) Wychcroft, East Sussex – 45.4mm
3) Cardiff – 44.8mm
4) Hurn, Dorset – 42mm
5) Wiggonholt, West Sussex – 37.2mm
A visibly shocked Mr Chapman told reporters as he arrived to pick her up: 'I was teaching Bethany to drive. I'd just arrived not realising all this had happened. I can't believe it. What a shock.
'She was a super kid. She was a great girl, good fun. I can't believe it. There's not much else I can say, really, I can't believe it. She was 17, a very lively girl, very sporty.
'We used to chat about cricket because I was into cricket and she was the only girl I knew into cricket. Her family must be so devastated. I can't believe it.'
Neighbours in Hever told how some came forward with chainsaws to try to help free Bethany, whose caravan neighboured another static home and several outbuildings.
Bethany and her family were living in the caravans while renovation work was taking place at their home, according to two neighbours.
One of them, who declined to be named, said: '(The family) were planning to join up their two buildings, and they were living in the caravans in order to do it.
'They had been living there for one and a half years, but I don't know how many of them there are. She was in one caravan, and mum was in another caravan.
'I don't know who else was there. At the end of the day the tree has come down. I won't criticise anyone working there but not one of the emergency services had a chainsaw. It came down to the locals having chainsaws in order to cut a gap and also the local farmer having lifting gear.'
The caravan was parked in a yard when a tree fell onto it during the storm - crushing it completely
Emergency services were called to Hever in Edenbridge at 7.18am following reports that the 17-year-old girl was seriously injured. But teams were unable to save her
Teams gather at the scene in Hever. Kent woke this morning to winds reaching topping 80mph and more than 100 trees felled
Uprooted: A jogger runs under a fallen lime tree on a footbridge surrounded by workman by the River Thames at Putney Embankment in south-west London
Another neighbour, who also did not want to be named, said: 'We cannot believe the tragedy of it all. From what I gather, they had some buildings which they were renovating and they were living in the caravans.
THE ST JUDE'S STORM IN NUMBERS
- 99mph gusts on Isle of Wight
- 270,000 homes left without power
- 40 railway lines blocked by 100 trees
- 15 train companies cancel services
- 130 flights cancelled from Heathrow
- 19 flood warnings and 147 flood alerts
- Four people killed by falling trees
'A lady came up to ask to borrow a chainsaw. We didn't even realise that it was a fatality until long afterwards. We just assumed that the young girl was going to be OK.'
Bethany's headteacher paid tribute to the 'universally respected' and 'popular' sporty sixth form student. Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School posted a letter to grieving staff, pupils and parents.
Headteacher Linda Wybar said: 'Beth was killed in the storms, early on Monday morning by a falling tree. Having joined us in Year 7, she had been with us for over six years and, now in the Upper Sixth, had everything to look forward to.
'Beth was a dedicated and truly outstanding sportswoman, whose unparalleled role in TWGGS sports will truly be sorely missed. Through her hard work and enthusiasm for sport she will never be forgotten.
'Her close friends and teachers, as well as the wider school community, will miss her beyond measure, and the school will do all we can to support girls as they struggle to come to terms with Beth's untimely death. All our thoughts and love are with Beth's parents and brothers at this saddest of times.'
The accident happened at about 6.50am in Lower High Street, Watford. The man, who was in his early 50s and from Harrow, north west London, was pronounced dead at the scene
He was driving a red Peugeot 307 and was the only person in the vehicle, Hertfordshire Police said
Officers remain at the scene -which is surrounded by felled trees - and the road is closed in both directions
The car, which was driving along Lower High Street, Watford, was crushed by the impact of the falling tree. The man died from his injuries, police said
Police and workmen at the scene of the accident in Watford. Several other people have been reported injured by the falling branches
and scattered debris across the country
MET OFFICE'S SUPERCOMPUTER PLOTS STORM DAYS IN ADVANCE
A £30million supercomputer used by the Met Office correctly plotted the size and path of St Jude’s storm four days before it had formed.
The IBM machine - with can perform 100trillion calculations a second - spotted two turbulent weather areas over Canada and the US which joined into a single large low pressure system in the Atlantic.
This was then carried by a fast jet stream across the ocean before it met a band of warm air over Britain, reported The Daily Telegraph.
The computer mapped these events taking place using data from millions of sources such as weather stations, aeroplanes and satellites.
A program on the computer - which contains more than a million lines of computer code - then simulated the weather.
Mr Drohan, 51, had worked as an operations manager in the street cleaning department at Harrow Council for 25 years. Council leader Cllr Susan Hall said: 'This is an absolute tragedy and everyone is devastated. Donal was one of our public realm managers and had worked for us for nearly 25 years.
'He was always cheerful, and passionate about his job keeping our streets clean. His council colleagues are finding this very hard to deal with. Our thoughts are with Donal's family both here and in Ireland.'
Hertfordshire Constabulary issued a witness appeal after the accident. PC Bob Hauxwell said: 'This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the man's family. We are aware there were a number of drivers who may have seen events leading up to the incident who did not stop at the scene.'
The Environment Agency has five flood warnings and 82 flood alerts in place, and rough seas left two cross-Channel ferries carrying 450 passengers stranded outside Dover when the port had to be closed.
The Met Office said wind reached more than 99mph at the Needles on the Isle of Wight at 5am, but less exposed areas are also being buffeted by 70mph gusts. In Watford the winds claimed another life when a red Peugeot was struck by a tree.
The driver, a man in his early 50s from Harrow, in north west London, died from his injuries at the scene.
A spokesman for the Hertfordshire force said: 'Police are currently in attendance at an incident in Lower High Street, Watford, following reports of a tree which had fallen on a vehicle around 6.50am.'
'A WAVE JUST WASHED HIM OUT': FRIEND TELLS OF LOSING DYLAN
A distraught friend of Dylan Alkins, who was apparently swept to his death by a giant wave as the St Jude storm gathered momentum, has described the moment the boy was dragged in.
Emergency services are still searching for Dylan, 14, of Newhaven, East Sussex, on Monday morning after a six hour search in brutal conditions on Sunday failed to find him.
Rhys Davey, 14, was at the scene and described on Facebook what happened.
Rhys said: 'Me and Zach Bennett were down the beach with Dylan and some others, a massive wave came and washed him out in front of my eyes.
'There was nothing we could do apart from wait, he was in the water for about two hours and it is a body recovery which means he did not make it.
'Me and Zack are in tears together and don't know what to do, Dylan was a very good mate of ours and we have some very funny memories. He will be missed and loved by loads of people.'
An eyewitness said: 'I was on the lower deck of the bus and I saw the tree fall,' said Jed Clifford, aged 40 years, who was travelling to work. He was driving away from the tree but it fell across the car. It all happened in slow motion.
'It was like something you would see on one of those freak weather programmes. There wasn't much traffic but the man was driving quite slowly and the tree fell at an angle. I don't think he could have avoided it even if he had floored it.
'I jumped out of the bus and ran to the car, and then thought, what am I going to do? There were other people who were walking past who stopped to help and a builder who jumped out of his van but the tree was too heavy to move.'
She confirmed the driver had died.
Today tributes were being paid to 14-year-old schoolboy Dylan Alkins. The teenager was missing feared drowned after being swept out to sea in Newhaven, East Sussex, on Sunday.
One friend tweeted: 'knowing my best friend is lost at sea gets me in tears: '( RIP Dylan Alkins love you gorgeous xoxoxoxoxox.'
An eye witness told BBC Radio Sussex that he feared being abused by the youths and did not go ahead with his instinctive plans to warn them of the dangers of standing so close to the seafront.
He said: 'I thought about warning them to stay away as it is dangerous but thought they would tell me to go away as they were young lads. The conditions were atrocious but I wish I had gone over to warn them now.'
A falling tree destroyed three houses when it fell on a gas main and led to an explosion in Hounslow, west London.
An elderly woman was taken to hospital following the blast and three people were rescued by London Fire Brigade. Twelve people were evacuated from surrounding properties as a precaution and fire crews also rescued a dog.
Station manager Matt Burrows described the 'scene of utter devastation' found at the scene.
'Debris was scattered over an area of about 50 metres and the roof of one of the houses was in a tree across the road,' he said.
Spray: Waves crash on Clarence Esplanade at Southsea in Portsmouth, Hampshire, as storms batter Britain
Strongest storm in a decade: People watch as waves crash against the harbour wall at Porthcawl in Bridgend, South Wales
Swirl: People walk as waves crash against the seafront at Dawlish in Devon. Britain's strongest storm in a decade forced hundreds of flight cancellations
Watching on: The first day of half term at Portland in Dorset brought clearer skies but high waves
The body of a man has been found among the rubble of his home blown apart in a gas explosion this morning, emergency services have revealed.
An elderly woman also remained unaccounted for several hours afterwards but was later found dead.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: ‘We had a very conspicuous explosion here this morning. It scattered debris over 50 metres and damaged properties around the area.
‘It is a scene of reasonable devastation. Three houses have been destroyed in this explosion. The roof is off and a large part of it is in a tree. This is by no means an insignificant blast.’
Rajiv Parmar, 28, an actor who lives with his family in the street, said: ‘We all got woken up by this big explosion, like a sonic boom. It felt like the house jumped literally up and down.
‘I ran outside in my pyjamas and saw this debris all over the floor. Then I saw a lady with blood all down her face, she was being helped out of all this rubble by another lady.
‘She had blood all over her face but she was moving okay. She was probably in her fifties. It was unbelievable. I feel lucky to be alive; if we lived just a few doors down that could have been us.’
'We all got woken up by this big explosion, like a sonic boom. It felt like the house jumped literally up and down'
Rajiv Parmar, 28, who lives near location of Hounslow blast
His cousin Pritesh Davda, who is from Los Angeles but visiting London, said: ‘It felt just like an LA earthquake.
Everything moved and things toppled off the table and shelves.
A double-decker bus 'rolled over' in Suffolk, injuring the driver and several passengers. Witnesses told police the vehicle blew over at 8am, rolling onto its side and coming to a stop in a field in Hadleigh. The driver, a man in his 40s, was initially trapped and was treated at the scene by paramedics.
The popular Kew Gardens suffered badly in the storm, with as many as 15 trees in the reserve blown down - forcing its closure in south-west London.
Hunting for Dylan: A police helicopter searches for the 14-year-old boy at Newhaven, in East Sussex. He has been named as Dylan Alkins
Two people are believed to be missing after three houses were destroyed by a gas explosion when strong winds caused a tree to fall through a mains pipe in Hounslow
Three people managed to escape before emergency services arrived and twelve people were evacuated from nearby properties
Properties within a 50m radius were damaged as debris was scattered over the street after the blast and people at the scene can still
smell gas
A fireman asseses the damage on the scene. The roof of one of the houses was blown off and landed on a tree 20m up on the other side
of the road
The gas board is working with police and fire investigation officers at the scene in Hounslow to understand what happened. The fire service's urban search and rescue teams are making the properties safer so further searches can be done to confirm there is no one else involved
Firefighters at the scene of an explosion involving three houses in Hounslow, West London today. Properties on Bath Road in Hounslow, London, damaged after tree fell through a pipe
Emergency services at the scene in Hounslow where a gas explosion at a house was caused by a falling tree in heavy wind, hospitalising
at least three people
National Grid workers at the scene in Hounslow. Around 30 firefighters and six engines were sent to the scene just after 7am
Wreckage: A cherry picker hovers over the destroyed properties as a tree lays on top of a car parked in a next-door driveway
Path of destruction: The St Jude's storm hit Britain at around 3am on Monday morning before sweeping across the UK dumping heavy
rain carried by 99mph winds
Millions of commuters stranded after 15 rail companies decide to scrap services, flights are delayed and roads are blocked
At least 15 train companies were forced to cancel services due to the large number of trees which fell on the lines.
There were almost no trains running into or out of London during the morning rush hour after Network Rail ruled that the lines were unsafe to use.
Although many routes have now re-opened, others remain closed and most train companies have advised passengers not to travel today unless absolutely necessary.
Many companies said that tickets for travel today would be accepted tomorrow in a bid to ease the congestion on those lines which are still running.
By mid-afternoon, nearly all train firms had re-started some services, but passengers were advised to check with firms before setting out as multiple delays and cancellations were reported on most lines.
Aftermath of October storm affects Windsor and Eton central line as trains were cancelled because of fallen trees
Patient: Commuters and transport workers wait for news at London Bridge station
Scores of commuters queue out of Balham station, in south west London, as overground services from the station were canceled
Scores of commuters queue out of Balham station, in south west London. At least 15 different train companies have cancelled services
Heavy delays were reported on nearly every London Underground line, while London Overground was largely closed.
BAD WEATHER TALKS HIT BY STORM
The storm has disrupted a Commons committee meeting due to hear evidence of how transport copes with bad weather.
Due to the knock-on effect of today's hurricane-force winds, the House of Commons Transport Committee has had to amend its hearing on transport's winter resilience plans.
An evidence session involving aviation witnesses has been cancelled, with the meeting pushed back 40 minutes.
But the committee will be able to hear, as planned, from newly-appointed Transport Minister Robert
Goodwill and from Transport for London and the Highways Agency.
A spokeswoman for the committee said: 'Arrangements for the Transport Committee's first evidence session on transport's winter resilience have been revised because of transport disruption caused by today's storm.'
More than 130 flights have been cancelled at Heathrow airport, with British Airways axing 20 per cent of services in the morning following a request from airport bosses.
Other airports were affected by delays, and also by the closure of the express train services running from Central London to Gatwick and Stansted.
The port at Dover was closed until shortly after 9am, forcing two cross-Channel ferries to wait off shore during turbulent conditions.
There were severe delays on Britain's busiest motorway, the M25, due to the shutting of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge at the Dartford River Crossing. A section of the M11 in Essex was closed due to an overturned lorry.
On the England-Wales border, the M48 Severn Bridge was closed in both directions between junction 2 at the A466 (Chepstow) and junction 1 at the A403 (Aust), because of strong winds.
Other motorways with hold-ups included the M2 in Kent, the M3 in Surrey, the M4 in Berkshire, the M6 in Cheshire and the M8 in Renfrewshire, Scotland.
Smaller roads across England and Wales faced delays thanks to felled trees and flooding.
Robin Gisby, Network Rail's managing director of network operations, said: 'NR is dealing with this severe weather in exactly the way that we and the train operators planned over the weekend.
'We have had several hundred staff on duty through the night and into the morning to monitor conditions and react to any damage or disruption caused by hurricane-force winds. Safety remains our top priority.'
He went on: 'While conditions were as forecast during the early part of the morning, the damage caused by the storm has been more severe than expected as it has tracked eastwards to the north of London and across to East Anglia.
'As a result, the West Coast, East Coast and Midland main lines are all currently blocked at their southern ends as a result of fallen trees and damage to power lines and all services are currently suspended on the Anglia route, where the storm is currently.'
Mr Gisby went on: 'At the latest count we have had more than 100 trees down across the southern half of the country and we expect to find more as we complete our safety checks this morning.'
Emergency services at the scene of an overturned double decker bus on the A1071 near Hadleigh in Suffolk
The overturned bus , at the A1071 near Hadleigh in Suffolk, was believed to be carrying passengers when it overturned in strong winds
The front window of the bus lies shattered on the ground after the accident, on the A1071 near Hadleigh in Suffolk. It is believed that
while passengers escaped serious injury - the driver has been taken to hospital
Road chaos: The M11 in Essex had to be closed southbound after a HGV overturned in the morning rush hour
Totalled: Council Workers use a chainsaw to clear a fallen tree that collapsed onto a Jaguar in Clapham, south-West London today
Mass disruption: Network Rail posted this picture of a tree on the train line in Keymer, a village in West Sussex, England, one of forty
lines that were blocked today
Collapsed scaffolding at London Bridge station, one of the busiest commuter hubs. It is almost deserted as the storm has caused the majority of trains in the south-east to be suspended until 9am
Crushed: A cyclists ducks under this fallen tree in Hornsey, north London, which has completely destroyed a car during Britain's worst storm for years
Dangerous: A Met police officer walks along a street where a roof was ripped off by the strong winds in central London this morning
Crush: A tree fell on a bus on Turnpike Lane in north London. Police closed the road
Diversion: High winds throughout southern England hit many commuter routes today as trees failed to cope with the winds, like here in Southampton
Business as usual? A worker and a jogger were forced to hop over a huge tree that blocked their London road as people tried to get on
with their normal lives despite the terrible weather
A fallen tree in Islington. Emergency services urged the capital's dwellers not to use motorbikes or bicycles as they are particularly vulnerable in high cross winds
Passengers on one London Midland train leaving Northampton at 7am bound for Euston station in London were heavily delayed and only got as far as Tring in Hertfordshire before having to make a return journey.
On the London Underground, only three lines - Victoria, Hammersmith & City and Waterloo & City - were operating normally through the morning rush-hour.
London's Transport Commissioner Sir Peter Hendy said: 'Transport for London services have coped well with the stormy conditions this morning. We put into action well-rehearsed plans to minimise disruption across our road and rail networks, working quickly to remove falling trees and debris.'
He added that it was hoped transport services in the capital would operate normally this afternoon and evening. British Airways said it had reduced its schedule by 20 per cent up to 11am, by 10 per cent between 11am and 4pm, and by five per cent between 4pm and 10.30pm.
A spokesman said: 'All of the agreed cancellations are for our European and domestic flights at Heathrow, and these have been published. All our long-haul flights into and out of London Heathrow are currently planned to operate as normal.
'We currently plan to operate all flights to and from London Gatwick and London City airports as normal.'
London Mayor Boris Johnson also chaired an emergency resilience meeting involving all emergency services in the capital city.
Going nowhere: Victoria Station is at a standstill as major travel disruptions take place in London this morning
Uprooted: A tree torn from the ground after the night's storms in Windsor, Berkshire. Right, travel chaos at Richmond Station this morning
Stark: Rail services in southern Britain have been cancelled or are running to amended timetables because of fears for passenger safety
A bus travels past fallen trees in Islington, north London. Emergency staff say they were called out numerous times for people injured by falling branches and debris
Barrier: A Network Rail image of a tree blocking the railway line at Beltring in Kent. 40,000 homes in the south-east were without power
this morning
A fallen tree branch blocking the road in St John's Wood, North London after strong winds swept the capital causing damage and travel disruptions
Deluge: Motorists struggle through a submerged road in Cardiff, South Wales this morning. Flash floods were also reported in Cornwall, Dorset, Hampshire and Sussex
Risk: The Emirates Air Line, a cable car link over the Thames, was grounded by the high winds in London this morning
The Air Line Twitter feed stated: 'There is currently no service on the line due to high winds'
Bleak: The usually busy M48 Severn Bridge crossing near Bristol is closed due to strong winds from the storm
CANCELLATIONS, DELAYS AND DISRUPTION: TRANSPORT UPDATE FOR BRITAIN'S MONDAY COMMUTE
Cancelled: The departure boards at Waterloo station this morning, where no services were running
TRAINS
- East Midlands: No trains south of Bedford for the rest of the day
- Greater Anglia: Limited services with some lines closed
- East Coast: Limited services
- First Hull Trains: Limited services
- First Capital Connect: Limited services
- Southeastern: Limited services
- c2c (Essex): Limited services
- South West Trains: Limited services
- CrossCountry: Multiple delays and cancellations
- Southern: Multiple delays and cancellations
- First Great Western: Multiple delays and cancellations
- London Midland: Some delays and cancellations
- Chiltern: Some delays and cancellations
- Virgin Trains: Normal service
- Eurostar: Normal service
- Heathrow Express: Normal service
- Gatwick Express: Some delays and cancellations
- Stansted Express: No services until further notice
- London Overground: Limited services with parts of the network closed
- London Underground: Severe delays on the Piccadilly line with minor delays on some other lines
ROADS
- M25: Queen Elizabeth II bridge (Dartford Crossing from Essex to Kent) has re-opened after being closed for several hours
- M11: Section in Essex was closed due to an overturned lorry but has now re-opened
- M48: Suspension bridge (Severn crossing) was closed but has re-opened
- Kent: Sheppey crossing which carries A249 was closed but has re-opened
- Cornwall: Heavy flooding on A388 at Hatt and trees fallen on A374 at Sheviock and on A390 near Lostwithiel
- Further delays on the M2 in Kent, the M3 in Surrey, the M4 in Berkshire, the M6 in Cheshire and the M8 in Renfrewshire, Scotland
- Fallen trees and flooding have affected the A12 in London, the A2 in Kent, the A21 in East Sussex, the A35 at Axminster in Devon, the A37 in Somerset, the A111 at Cockfosters, the A112 in Walthamstow, the A131 in Halstead, the A240 in Surrey, the A338 at Hungerford in Berkshire, the A404 in Berkshire, the A3020 at Newport, Isle of Wight, the A427 in Northamptonshire and the A466 in Monmouthshire, South Wales
AIRPORTS
- London Heathrow Airport: More than 130 flights cancelled from 6am to 10.30pm
- London Gatwick Airport: Most flights operating as normal
- Stansted, Luton and Bristol airports: No cancellations reported
FERRIES
- All services to and from Dover have faced severe disruption, as the port was closed until shortly past 9am
- Hovertravel between Ryde and Southsea: All cancelled
- Condor Ferries between Poole/Weymouth and Guernsey/Jersey: All cancelled; additional services will run tomorrow
At least 600,000 homes across Britain left without power after St Jude's storm sweeps through
More than 600,000 households had to cope without power this morning, with 200,000 still waiting to be reconnected.
In a chaotic ten hours since the winds and rain struck, 400,000 homes in the south of England had to be reconnected to the grid.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) said more than 38,000 customers were left without power in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, while Western Power reported a further 3,800 power cuts in the same areas.
Garden: The fence surrounding a nearby property was knocked down by the blast and the safety netting of a trampoline was pulled down
In tact: Debris lies in the garden behind a part of one property which was left untouched after the massive explosion
A tree cuts off a courtyard in Aldenham Street, Euston, narrowly missing homes
Power companies have said they are not sure when the affected homes will have access to power again as they deal with each case on an individual basis.
Technicians from the north have been brought in to help repair damage power lines and engineers are working in the extreme conditions to reconnect people's homes.
Five times the number of engineers are on duty and people have been told to keep their fridges closed and listen to portable radios to keep updated.
Now the weather has cleared, helicopters have been sent to some parts of the country to assess the damage to the power grids and determine which areas need the most attention.
In Leyton, east London, Francis Road was blocked when 100 metres of two-storey scaffolding was ripped from the
row of shop fronts in the early hours
Workmen try to clear the damage to the road Leyton, East London this morning, after it was cut off by collapsed scaffolding
A police officer surveys the scene after scaffolding collapsed on top of cars in a street in Leyton, East London this morning
Carnage: This street in Leyton, east London was strewn with debris after raging winds tore down shopfront scaffolding
A Mercedes parked outside a building in Sussex has been crushed by a falling debris amid the storms
Men struggle to remove the roof and fallen debris from on top of the car - parked outside Freddy's Smile Cancer Charity in Sussex
Surrey, Sussex and Kent are the worst areas affected. UK Power said 96,000 of their customers in the East were left without power. SSE said 82,200 of their customers have been affected with Poole and Aldershot suffering the worst of the outages. About 36,000 homes in Essex remain without power.
Tracey Elsey, communications manager for UK power networks, told Radio 4’s Today Programme: ‘We’ve seen a lot more powers cuts and damage reported particularly in the last hour. We’ve got close to 140,000 people without power at the moment – that’s properties, so homes and businesses.
‘We’ve still got about 40,000 people off in the South East, that’s our region that runs from Brighton up to Kent. In our East of England region, which goes from Essex up to the North Norfolk coast to we’ve seen a huge rise in reported power cuts – 100,000 properties off power.
‘(The power lines) are hit by trees – the branches touch the overhead lines or any other debris that’s whipped up by the wind overnight can affect the overhead power lines.
(The system) is built to be resilient to the weather. It’s just that when we have extremely high winds, it can bring down lots of trees. We actually run a year-round tree-cutting programme, and spend about £21million a year trying to keep the trees away from our overhead lines.’
Splintered: A fallen tree branch partially blocks a pavement and road in London. Falling branches and uprooted trees caused widespread traffic delays
Nature's fury: A tree in a residential area of Bristol lies across a platform. The city was severely affected by floods and power outages
Crush: A falling tree smashed onto the roof of this car in Plymouth, Devon. Heavy winds lashed the south west overnight
A teenage boy is also feared dead after being swept out to sea in Newhaven, East Sussex yesterday afternoon. Rescuers will resume their search today
A tree is ripped from its roots, and crashes onto a parked car, cutting off a road in Bognor Regis. Roads in chaos as trees fall onto roads as high winds howl through the south of England and Wales
Prime Minister pays tribute to the dead taken by the 'worst storm for many years'
David Cameron has described the storm that battered Britain overnight and this morning as one of the worst for many years.
The Prime Minister said the thoughts of all MPs in the House of Commons were be with the four people who died after hurricane-force conditions swept the UK.
He paid tribute to the emergency services and those fixing the damage left by the storm and said all agencies involved were working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible.
Broken: The hurricane-force winds snapped this crane held high above Downing Street, which has collapsed onto the roof of the Cabinet Office
Twisted metal: A crane above Downing Street collapsed onto the roof of the Cabinet Office overnight, causing damage
A construction crane lays on top of the cabinet office government building after collapsing in high winds after the storm hit central London
Mr Cameron told the Commons: 'In the last 24 hours the country has been hit by one of the worst storms for many years. I know the thoughts of the whole House will be with the families and friends of the four people that we know have lost their lives.
'I'm sure the whole House will join me in paying tribute to our emergency services and to all those who have been working to clear up the debris and to get our transport system moving again. All the agencies involved are working as fast as possible to get things back to normal.'
Even Downing Street has been hit by the storm with a crane currently on a roof above it crashing down on the the Cabinet Office roof, leading to Whitehall below being condoned off.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: 'A crane at the back of the Cabinet Office has been dislodged by the storm, and is currently resting on the roof. We are assessing the damage, and some areas of the building will be evacuated while we do so.
'Many staff can log on and work flexibly from the Treasury building, or from other locations – and we are exploring other temporary options. We are working hard to ensure the safety of our staff and minimum disruption to operations.'
Collapse: A car drives past a toppled tree in Chinnor south Oxfordshire, earlier today
Media storm: A news stand knocked over by wind on Tottenham Court Road in central London
Felled: A tree blocking the road in Brighton during the early stages of the Storm. Many roads in the south-west were blocked, causing rush hour chaos
Collapse: An uprooted tree and an upended bench at an unknown location, posted by Carrie Luxembourg
Blockade: Cyclists look at a fallen tree in Islington, north London today
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg was forced to cancel his monthly press conference in Westminster after the crane collapsed.
ST JUDE: SAINT OF LOST CAUSES
The storm was named after St Jude, the Roman Catholic patron saint of lost causes, whose feast day is today.
Also known as Thaddeus, he was born into a Jewish family in Palestine and is believed to be a blood relative of Jesus.
He was one of 12 apostles chosen to spread the gospel and he is believed to have brought Christianity to Armenia.
Details of his life are scarce. But he became associated with lost causes because of a letter he wrote to the persecuted churches of the East in about 60AD.
In it, he is believed to have stressed the importance of persisting in difficult circumstances, as their forefathers had done before them. But around five years later he was hacked to death in Armenia.
He is often pictured with an axe, symbolising the way he was killed. His body was later taken to St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Home Secretary Theresa May and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper thanked and congratulated the police and emergency services for their work during and after the storm.
During Home Office questions in the Commons, Mrs May said: 'May I first of all thank and congratulate the police and indeed all the emergency services for the excellent work they have been doing overnight and continue to do today for the victims of the terrible storm.'
They both paid their condolences to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.
Turning to the Home Secretary, Ms Cooper said: 'Can I join you in thanking the police and all the emergency services for their excellent work in response to today's storm.
'I know the House will also want to send sympathies to the families of those who are reported to have tragically lost their lives as a result of the storm as well.'
Mrs May replied: 'I join you in paying condolences to the families and friends of those who it is reported have lost their lives as a result of the storm and you are right in saying that the whole House will wish to pass our sympathies on to those who have lost loved ones.'
Labour leader Ed Miliband said he sent his 'deepest condolences' to the families of the four people killed by the storm.
Turning to Mr Cameron, he said: 'Let me join you in thanking the emergency services for the work they have done overnight to protect people and the work they are now doing to clear the debris.
'I wonder if you will take this opportunity to update the House on the hundreds of thousands of homes without power in south west England, East Anglia and the Midlands and update the House on how long it is expected to take for it to be restored.'
Despite the storm, the Conservative benches were filled as they might otherwise have been for a statement by the Prime Minister.
The Labour benches behind Mr Miliband were also relatively full but in the parts of the chamber where the Scottish Labour MPs and the party's members representing constituencies in the north of England sit, there were a number of empty seats.
There were also few MPs from the Scottish National Party and from the parties representing constituencies in Northern Ireland in the Commons today.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'I was saddened to learn of the deaths of a man and a woman in Hounslow following the storm. I'm sure I can speak for all Londoners when I say my thoughts are with the victims and their relatives.
'The emergency services and Transport for London have done an amazing job responding to a host of difficult incidents whilst keeping London moving wherever possible, but clearly any loss of life is a tragedy.'
Passers-by examine a fallen tree lying across the road due in Shepherd's Hill, north London
A cyclist climbs over a fallen tree lying across the road in Shepherd's Hill, north London, as passers by look on
The River Stour shows the signs of heavy rainfall as high water flows underneath a bridge in Tredington, Warwickshire
The swollen River Stour flows underneath a bridge in Tredington, Warwickshire
A lone walker makes their way across a bridge over the River Stour, in Warwickshire, after the heavy rainfall
Schoolgirl, 10, plucked to safety after being trapped up to the waist in quicksand
These dramatic photographs show how a 10-year-old girl was freed from quicksands today after being trapped up to the waist in the mud.
Coastguard teams, police and firefighters used special equipment to reach the girl and free her at Sandyhills Bay in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.
Holidaymakers watched the drama 100 yards from the popular beach on the Solway Firth as the girl was stuck in the mud for around 90 minutes.
Trapped: Coastguard teams, police and firefighters used special equipment to reach the girl and free her at Sandyhills Bay in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland
Safety: Holidaymakers watched the drama 100 yards from the popular beach on the Solway Firth as the girl was stuck in the mud for
around 90 minutes
Firefighters laid out ice paths across the mud alongside Southwick Burn which flows across the bay and is filled by the incoming tide. They managed to crawl to her and used a sand lance and other equipment to free her.
Her parents and other relatives were holidaying nearby and watched anxiously as work went on to free her. The girl was eventually rescued and taken by ambulance to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary nearby.
A Coastguard spokesman at Liverpool, where the rescue was co-ordinated, said: ‘Fortunately the tide was out at the time or it could have been very serious indeed. Once they got the special equipment in place they were able to extract the girl from the mud.'
The River Stour appears to have burst over its banks in Warwickshire. A warning has been issued for the areas around the River Stour from Tredington to Clifford Chambers in Warwickshire
A pub by the River Stour appears to have been cut off by the heavy rainfall in Warwickshire
Passers-by survey the damage to the Rover Stour in Warwickshire. A flood warning is one step up from an alert, and is in place to tell people that flooding is expected, and immediate action should be taken
Flooded fields near the village of Whitford, near Devon. Britain faced travel chaos on October 28 and over 200,000 homes were without power as one of the worst storms in years battered southern England, sweeping at least one person out to sea
A motorcycle rider decides to turn back from a flooded area of road near the village of Whitford, in Devon
A car splashes through a flooded section of road near the village of Whitford, in Devon
Waves crash against a lighthouse at Newhaven in South East England, as Britain's strongest storm in a decade battered southern regions
on Monday, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations, cutting power lines and disrupting the travel plans of millions of commuters
Police said rescuers were forced to call off a search for a 14-year-old boy late on Sunday due to the pounding waves, whipped up by the rising wind in Newhaven
Large waves, produced by storm force winds, break against the harbour wall in Dover
Fury: The sea crashes against the harbour wall in Brighton this morning
Landfall: Such was the ferocity of the sea a boat broke its moorings and was washed up on the beach
Brutal: Normally a dozen or so members swim around the pier, but the churning sea was far too dangerous earlier
Only the brave (or foolish) took the the churning seas today as storm force winds lashed the south coast
A lone surfer takes to the seas amid the worst storm to hit the country in years
People walk along the beach next to rough sea in Charmouth, in Dorset, southern England, as waves crash against the coast
A daredevil surfer falls off a wave at Charmouth, in Dorset, as the coast is battered by strong winds and towering seas
Hurricane winds batter the Brighton coast as a child and an adult force their way through the storm
A boat lays stricken on the beach as people watch the waves batter into the sea wall of a marina in Brighton
The Brighton Marina harbour wall pictured at first light at Storm Jude hit Britain
A boat broke its moorings and was washed up on the beach as the giant waves attacked the Brighton coast. Hurricane-force winds and torrential rain is battering southern England with gusts of almost 100mph
Waves crash against a lighthouse during storms that battered Britain and where a 14-year-old boy was swept away to sea at Newhaven
People watch the waves batter into the sea wall of a marina in Brighton
Forecast: The Met Office said the storm would reach maximum ferocity in the early hours of today but move quickly eastwards, with winds falling away by lunchtime
Forecast: These Met Office graphics show the yellow and amber weather warnings for today (left) and the timing of the strongest winds (right)
Insurance companies have advised householders to take steps to protect themselves and their property.
These include establishing an evacuation plan, ensuring gutters are clear and placing valuables upstairs to limit flood damage.
The Met Office added that the expected storm was ‘not one you would see every year’, and could be compared to those that took place in March 2008, January 2007 and October 2000.
Forecasters said they could not rule out declaring a ‘red alert’, meaning there was ‘a high risk of serious disruption’, and warned that the chaos could coincide with tomorrow’s morning rush-hour.
The Great Storm of 1987: Claimed 18 lives, flattened 15 million trees and caused damage costing £1.5billion
The Great Storm which battered England and Wales in 1987 was the worst storm to hit south-east Britain in over 300 years.
In the early hours of October 16 winds peaked at more than 120mph, killing 18 people, damaging buildings and felling 15 million trees in the south east of England.
Millions of homes were left without power for at least a few hours, with some having no electricity for days as trees fell on power lines, disrupting supplies.
Damage: An uprooted tree lies across a car in London after the Great Storm on October 15, 1987, which claimed 18 lives
Powerful: The highest gust recorded from the storm was at Gorleston, Norfolk, hitting 122mph
The damage caused cost £1.5billion.
Whilst most of England and Wales experienced wet and windy weather that night, it was southern and eastern parts of England that were worst hit.
The highest gust recorded from the storm was at Gorleston, Norfolk, hitting 122mph.
A ship capsized at Dover, and a Channel ferry was driven ashore near Folkestone.
Veteran weatherman Michael Fish bore the brunt for famously telling the nation there was no hurricane in the offing, just hours before it arrived.
At the time Mr Fish told viewers tuning into the broadcast: ‘Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way; well, if you’re watching, don’t worry, there isn’t, but having said that, actually, the weather will become very windy, but most of the strong winds, incidentally, will be down over Spain and across into France.’
But in 2011, one of his former colleagues finally stepped forward to take the blame for the Met Office’s botched forecast.
Bill Giles, who was chief forecaster at the time, admitted that he was in fact responsible for the lunchtime broadcast on October 15 in 1987.
It was the worst storm since 1703 and a public enquiry was announced shortly after the storm and an internal enquiry was conducted by the Met Office.
The Met Office writes: 'We now know that the strength of the storm was boosted by a phenomenon known as the ‘Sting Jet’, where cold dry air descends into storms high in the atmosphere.
'Rain or snow falling into this jet of air evaporates and cools the air further, adding more energy which translates into stronger winds. By the time this ‘sting in the tail’ reaches the ground it can produce winds of 100mph which are concentrated over a small area.
'In 1987, no-one knew sting jets even existed, but now they are well understood and included in forecast models. The storm which affected Scotland in December 2011 was boosted by a sting jet, explaining the maximum gust speed of 164mph recorded on top of Cairngorm.'
Business as usual: A Routemaster driving through the streets of London after the strong winds
Power: A Sealink ferry was forced onto dry land by the extreme winds
Britain was hit by sine if the worst weather since the Great Storm of 1987 when this tree crashed over in Eynsford, Kent
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