Driver dead as winds hammer UK

A driver was killed by a falling tree in Somerset yesterday as gale force winds and heavy rain wreaked havoc on the roads across the country.

The accident happened on a minor road between Staple Fitzpaine and Corfe in the west of England at around 10:54 GMT.

"Sadly the driver of the vehicle… was pronounced dead at the scene," an Avon and Somerset police spokesperson confirmed.

"Collision investigators are currently at the scene and the road is expected to remain closed for some time."

Winds of up to 80 mph blasted motorists up and down the UK but the Met Office said that the worst affected areas were the north-east and the south-west.

In addition, homeowners in 170 areas were told their properties were at risk from flooding as heavy rained lashed down from the heavens.

Other victims of the severe weather, who are not yet found, are a Russian steward, swept off a cargo ship off the coast of Cornwall and five men aboard an Irish fishing boat, which disappeared close to County Waterford.