11/01/2007

Man dies as severe weather hits Britain

A man has been killed as Britain continues to be battered by severe weather.

It is believed that the man died when a tree fell on his car as he drove through the village of Britty Common, near Wellington in Somerset on Thursday morning.

Heavy rain and winds have continued to affect many parts of the UK and are expected to last throughout the day.

Around 80,000 homes in Wales are currently without electricity.

Several rivers also burst their banks in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, stranding motorists.

Meanwhile, western Scotland has been battered by high winds, with gusts reaching more than 90 mph.

The Met Office said there had been winds of 70mph in the north west of Scotland and south Wales, while there were heavy rains in Scotland and central England.

Heavy rains were expected to return over night in northern England and Scotland, with fears of more flooding.

The Environment Agency said that 59 flood warnings were in place across the country, with particular concerns for stretches of the River Ouse in York, River Severn in Shropshire and River Yare in Norfolk.

Five flood warnings have also been issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

High winds have also caused chaos on roads acorss the UK. Cumbria Police reported that two lorries had overturned on the northbound side of the A74.

West Yorkshire Police have warned drivers of high-sided vehicles to avoid the highest section of the M62, while Devon and Cornwall Police have also warned motorists that trees are down on a number of roads, as well as other items blown into the roads, such as wheelie bins.

The weather has also affected rail services. Trees fell on the line at Paddock Wood, near Tonbridge in Kent, Redhill in Surrey and Paignton in Devon, disrupting First Great Western trains to London Paddington.

Rough sea conditions in the Channel have also forced the suspension of P&O and SeaFrance services to Calais, Norfolkline to Dunkirk and Speedferries to Boulogne.

(KMcA/EF)


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