- Storm Eleanor hit Britain with hurricane-force winds topping 100mph triggering 'danger to life' warnings
- Yellow and amber wind warnings issued across Britain overnight and remain in place this morning (Weds)
- A Met Office spokesperson issued a stark warnings about flying debris, high tides, flooding and felled trees
- The M5, M25, A1M, A14 and the M48 hit by storm conditions leading to severe delays and road closures
By Rod Ardehali and Keiligh Baker for MailOnline
Published: 17:17 EST, 2 January 2018 | Updated: 05:08 EST, 3 January 2018
Commuters face chaos this morning after Storm Eleanor swept across the Atlantic and smashed Britain with hurricane-force winds of up to 100mph.
Flood warnings are in place across all of England and Wales today after the storm, with torrential rain triggering 'danger to life' warnings across the country. The Met Office has said a yellow warning including a danger to life is in place until 6pm tonight
Overturned vehicles forced closures on the A1M, M6 and M5, where a recovery operation was under way to clear up the contents of a lorry left spilled on the road, with delays expected to last well in to the morning.
An object in the overhead lines between London Paddington and Hayes reduced the number of trains leaving the major hub, while power outages halted rail services between Letchworth Garden City and Cambridge.
Meanwhile families have been forced to stack sandbags against their front doors in a desperate bid to stop sea water flooding their homes along the north coast of Cornwall this morning.
Waves up to 30ft high are overpowering coastal defences and swamping seaside towns and villages where many people are without electricity after trees brought down power lines.
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Terrifying: Massive waves crash against the harbour wall in Porthcawl, Wales, during Storm Eleanor this morning


Battered: An aircraft struggles to land in strong winds this morning at England's highest airport, Leeds Bradford international


Smashed: The strong winds felled this tree in Finsbury Park, north London, causing it to scrape down the side of a vintage car


Clean up: Two lorries overturned during Storm Eleanor. Two lanes are closed on the motorway between junction nine for Tewkesbury and junction 8 for the M50 after a lorry overturned at around 3am this morning (Wednesday)
A yellow warning of wind remains active for all of England and Wales, most of Northern Ireland and the Scottish Borders until 6pm on Wednesday after an amber warning was put in place for the early hours.
The Met Office said gusts of 100mph were recorded at Great Dun Fell in Cumbria at 1am, while wind speeds reached 90mph at Orlock Head in Northern Ireland on Tuesday evening.
Gusts up to 89mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight at around midnight, while in Northolt, north-west London, speeds of up to 73mph were detected and 77mph gusts were recorded in High Bradfield, South Yorkshire.
Meteorologist Becky Mitchell said the risk of more 'violent storm-force gusts' had lessened, although wind speeds of between 70mph and 80mph could hit some parts.


Miracle: The driver of this HGV somehow managed to escape serious harm after the lorry he was driving was blown off the M6 in Cumbria


Scary: The storm caused this massive tree to smash into a building in Christchurch, Dorset, overnight


Shut off: Fire crews are working to remove the large tree from the property – it is unclear how much damage it caused


Dangerous: Weston-Super-Mare's coastal defences were battered by large waves overnight during the storm


Broken: The harbour wall in Portreath, Cornwall, partially collapsed after being battered by waves and wind overnight


Chaos: A tree fell on the tracks at Ickenham Station in London, causing severe delays on the Metropolitan line this morning


Powerful: Waves crash against the cliffs in Portreath, Cornwall. Closer to shore, cracks began to form in the harbour wall and water poured through it, while some steps collapsed. Police said a 25ft to 30ft section was later swept further out to sea


Close shave: A fallen tree blocks the A435 Birmingham Road, Mappleborough Green, Warwickshire, following the storm


Flooding: Driven by 80mph winds, waves up to 30ft high are overpowering coastal defences and swamping seaside towns and villages (pictured: Bude in Cornwall)


Hazard: A tree has fallen on the road that leads to Manchester United's Training ground in Carrington following strong winds


Emergency: Families are stacking sandbags against their front doors in a desperate bid to stop sea water flooding their homes along the north coast of Cornwall as Storm Eleanor batters Britain this morning


Action shot: Photographers have flocked to Porthcawl Lighthouse in Wales, this morning as large waves batter the coast


Dramatic: Waves crash over the stone jetty wall in Aberystwyth in west Wales this morning. Waves up to 30ft high are overpowering coastal defences and swamping seaside towns and villages where many people are without electricity
'Storm Eleanor has swept through and the eye is now crossing the North Sea, although there will continue to be strong gusts through the day,' she said.
'We have seen some heavy showers push through across the south of the UK along with hail, loud thunder and lightning, which has woken people up.
'It is possible there will be quite widespread disruption this morning and it is worth checking before you travel.'
The Severn River Crossing and the Orwell Bridge in Suffolk were closed in the early hours due to strong winds.


Waves crash against the sea wall in Aberystwyth, west Wales as Storm Eleanor hits the UK causing power cuts and disruption


Sea water breaches the sea walls at Mudeford Quay, Dorset last night, as Storm Eleanor battered the coast


A twitter user took this astonishing picture of the river Shannon bursting its banks at Bishops Quay, Limerick, Ireland
Highways England said there was a possibility that the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge would have to close and the east tunnel of the Dartford Crossing had been shut in case it had to take diverted traffic.
Police forces in Cumbria, Suffolk, Norfolk and Humberside were among those to issue warnings that downed trees had blocked routes.
Isle of Man Police said infrastructure staff worked through the night to remove trees from the roads, while there were multiple reports of roofs coming off buildings, flooding and mud debris.
The States of Jersey Police said multiple roads remain closed due to fallen trees, stormy weather and high waves.
As well as the problems posed by high winds, the Environment Agency has issued 50 flood warnings and 110 flood alerts, with coastal areas under threat from a combination of a high tide and large waves.
In Cheshire the RSPCA was called to a road in Poynton where a swan had taken up residence in a puddle, blocking traffic.




This valiant Deliveroo cyclist was spotted battling the elements and rising flood water in order to deliver a take-away meal
A tide-battered harbour wall in Portreath, Cornwall, partially collapsed as the storm intensified this morning, police said.
Cornwall Police said they were called at around 5.50am due to a very high tide and water coming on to the road.
Closer to shore, cracks began to form in the harbour wall and water poured through it, while some steps collapsed.
A spokeswoman for Cornwall Police said a 25ft to 30ft section was later swept further out to sea.
She said: 'There is no risk to anybody, Highways England are putting bags along the road and there are barriers up as well.'
As the storm spread from Ireland into the north of England and the South East, yellow warnings were issued across Britain and amber wind warnings were issued for parts of Northern Ireland.
The Environment Agency has issued an urgent warning that 30ft waves smashing in from the Atlantic could swamp seaside roads, quays, piers and harbour walls and are telling people to remain indoors.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said 'We cannot stress enough that piers, rocks, harbours and the water's edge are not safe places to be when the weather is bad.


A car was struck by a falling tree on A35 in Hampshire and two people were taken to hospital for treatment


A flooded car park in Galway, Ireland, is pictured in the early hours of this morning after storm Eleanor hit the country


Commuters face chaos this morning after Storm Eleanor swept across the Atlantic and smashed Britain with hurricane-force winds of up to 100mph. Pictured: A fallen tree in Hunslet, Leeds
'Wave dodging or playing chicken with waves is extremely dangerous. It can be slippery and because there is little to hold on to. Even a small wave can come out of nowhere and quickly wash you into the sea.
'No photograph or selfie is worth risking your life for. The seas are unforgiving in bad weather.'
It's feared that paintings and other artwork worth up to £100,000 were ruined by Storm Eleanor this morning.
As 30ft monster waves whipped by 80mph howling gales battered the coast, onlookers said the sea wall defences were overwhelmed at St Ives in Cornwall.
Water surged along the town's streets and waves smashed down the front door of Porthminster Gallery and swirled inside where oil and water-colour paintings said to be worth 'tens of thousands of pounds' were on display.
One onlooker said 'A wave took out the inside doors of the gallery, completely flooding it.'


A fallen tree blocks the road in Tonbridge. As the storm spread from Ireland into the north of England and the South East, yellow warnings were issued across Britain and amber wind warnings were issued for parts of Northern Ireland
Footage captured by those escaping the storm shows waves battering areas in Galway, causing massive flooding on the road, while Limerick and Mayo experienced torrential downpours.
Around 22,000 houses in Northern Ireland and scores more in England were affected by power cuts.
Northern Ireland Electricity Networks said it restored supply to 10,000 properties but another 12,000 would be without power overnight.
A spokesman said: 'It's very difficult to make repairs because we have to think about the safety of our employees, most repairs will start at first light.'
A number of roads were closed due to fallen trees and motorists were warned to avoid all but essential travel.


Gusts of nearly 100mph were recorded near Connaught airport in Mayo, Southern Ireland, while the highest recorded winds in Britain hit Aberdaron in west Wales reaching 76mph


Poor weather conditions meant Irish Sea ferry crossings from Holyhead in Anglesey were cancelled while yellow and amber warnings have been issues across Britain. The amber wind warning, valid from 19:30 until 04:00, is in place for much of Northern Ireland
Roadworks affected by Storm Eleanor
Here are some of the country's travel links that have been affected as Storm Eleanor brought high winds to the UK.
- M25 – A large tree fell on to the clockwise carriageway between junctions 17 and 18, temporarily halting all traffic. Orbital partially reopened as teams removed the obstacle.
- M5 – Northbound carriageway closed between junctions six and five due to overturned vehicle.
- A1M – Northbound lane closure at junction four after vehicle overturned on sliproad.
- M48 – The Severn Crossing between Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire closed between junctions one and two due to high winds. Motorists advised to use the M4 Second Severn Crossing for South Wales.
- A14 – Closed in both directions between junctions 56 and 57 due to high winds on the Orwell Bridge. Traffic diverted through Ipswich.
In England nearly 2,000 homes were hit by power cuts in the Midlands, as well as around 700 in the South West and 460 in Wales.
The Environment Agency issued 65 flood warnings and dozens of alerts across the country.
The Dartford Crossing bridge was closed overnight due to the dangerous wind speeds and is due to reopen in time for morning rush hour.
Vince Crane, of the AA, advised drivers to take extra care in the worsening conditions.
He said: 'Road conditions can quickly deteriorate during very heavy rainfall, with drains becoming swamped or blocked and standing water causing surface spray, reduced visibility and potentially leading to flooding.
'Drivers will need to take extra care and expect delays, even on motorways.
'Strong or sudden gusts of wind are more likely on open stretches of road, when passing bridges or gaps in hedges, or when overtaking high-sided vehicles.'
There will be a risk of 'injuries and danger to life' from flying debris and large waves along the western coast, the Met Office said.
In Wales, people have been advised to keep a safe distance from the sea as Natural Resources Wales (NRW) issued a series of flood warnings for the south-east, south-west and north coasts.
Ceri Jones, from NRW, said: 'Large waves could overtop defences and throw up debris – this could easily cause injury or knock you off your feet.'


Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said the outlook was bleak for almost all Britons, with rain and wind expected in nearly every corner of the UK
Pembrokeshire County Council also issued a warning for several areas, including Amroth and Newgale, where overtopping waves could cause disruption.
The Met Office said: 'Public transport may be disrupted or cancelled and some bridges are likely to be closed. Power cuts and disruption to other services – mobile phones for example – may also occur, while injuries from flying debris are possible.
'Combined with a period of high tides, it is likely that some western coastal communities will be affected by large waves and spray, and again there is a chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves, or beach material being thrown.'
Forecasters expect a return to 'much colder' conditions over the weekend with a risk of frost and ice, particularly in the north.
The Met Office has issued several national severe weather warnings due to the potential for travel disruption.
And the AA is expecting one of its busiest days of the year, and anticipates rescuing more than 18,000 drivers.
The Environment Agency warned earlier that strong winds and high tides could bring coastal flooding from Tuesday until Thursday.
Carol Holt, the Environment Agency's flood duty manager, said: 'We urge people to stay safe on the coast – take extreme care on coastal paths and promenades, and don't put yourself in unnecessary danger trying to take 'storm selfies'.
'If you're travelling, please check your route before setting off and don't drive through flood water.'
Deputy chief forecaster Dan Harris added that next weekend could bring a return of colder conditions with a risk of frost, ice and wintry conditions, particularly in the north.
He added: 'It could remain more unsettled in the south.
'The details of the forecast later this week and into the weekend are extremely uncertain at this stage, so my advice is to keep up to date with the latest forecasts as confidence will increase later in the week.'
Despite the warnings, a photographer also captured the moment a man balanced on rocks surrounded by dangerous waves at Godrevy Lighthouse near St Ives in Cornwall.
The photo was taken on Sunday while the coast of Cornwall was lashed by strong winds from Storm Dylan.
Moments later the rocks were submerged by the rising tide.
Photographer James Pearce said: 'The man walked slowly and purposefully with a few periods of waiting for a really big wave to pass.
'By the time I got to his position he was off somewhere else and the tide had risen above the rocks he was climbing on.
'I'd say he was at risk from a rogue wave, but he was confident in his steps and seemed quite casual. I don't think the coastguard would have taken kindly to the risk though.'
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