Britain Gets Hit With Hurricane
Thousands were left stranded, flooded or without power yesterday as 95mph hailstorms lashed Britain.
Amid widespread travel chaos, more than 10,000 families were plunged into darkness when trees crashed through power lines.
Homes in Wales, Cornwall and Devon were deluged.
Emergency services were at full stretch for the “perfect storm” - a combination of gale force winds and the high spring tide.
And as insurers estimated damage running into hundreds of millions, forecasters warned there would be more mayhem today.
Yet despite the thunderous fury of the storm, said to be the worst of the winter, there was no loss of life and the verdict so far was: It could have been a lot worse.
Motorists were recounting their lucky escapes avoiding trees that crashed to the road, while others were plucked to safety from rising waters.
Lightning struck two homes in Dorset, and in London a woman was taken to hospital after being knocked unconscious by an advertising hoarding blown down as she waited for a train.
Winds reached 82mph at Berry Head in Brixham, Devon, between 3am and 5am and peaked at 95mph at The Needles on the Isle of Wight at 1pm.
Despite structural damage, organisers of the Cheltenham Festival said the racecourse was undamaged and promised events would begin today as planned.
Last night, Britain braced itself for more misery as forecasters predicted there could be more severe gales on the way.
The whole of England could once again face winds of up to 80mph and disruption is set to continue on railways and roads.
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