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| Storms cause chaos across England | Storms cause chaos across England |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| A man has died and rush hour travel has been badly disrupted as much of England was hit by strong gales and heavy rain. | |
| Richard Heard, managing director of Birmingham International Airport, died when a branch crashed through his car windscreen in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. | |
| Two men had to be rescued after getting lost in the Peak District overnight. | Two men had to be rescued after getting lost in the Peak District overnight. |
| Train services are affected and ferries from Dover to France have been cancelled, as have crossings to the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands. | Train services are affected and ferries from Dover to France have been cancelled, as have crossings to the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands. |
| Winds of up to 80mph have been reported and the Met Office has issued a severe weather warning. | Winds of up to 80mph have been reported and the Met Office has issued a severe weather warning. |
| Trains hit trees | Trains hit trees |
| The crew of a container ship had to abandon the vessel when it began to sink in the English Channel, 40 miles south of Lizard in Cornwall. | |
| Lifeboat crews and a helicopter were involved in the attempt to rescue the 26-strong crew of the UK-registered MSC Napoli, but there were no reports of injuries. | Lifeboat crews and a helicopter were involved in the attempt to rescue the 26-strong crew of the UK-registered MSC Napoli, but there were no reports of injuries. |
| Snow has fallen in parts of the North East and Yorkshire. | Snow has fallen in parts of the North East and Yorkshire. |
| class="" href="/1/hi/england/6273773.stm">Airport boss dies in car crash | |
| About 15 snowploughs and gritters were sent out in County Durham to clear roads of snow and ice and up to 2ins (5cm) of snow fell on the Pennines from about 0500 GMT. | About 15 snowploughs and gritters were sent out in County Durham to clear roads of snow and ice and up to 2ins (5cm) of snow fell on the Pennines from about 0500 GMT. |
| Ferry sailings from the Port of Dover in Kent were cancelled shortly before 0830 GMT, with P&O and SeaFrance services to Calais, Norfolk Line crossings to Dunkirk and SpeedFerries sailings to Boulogne all affected. | Ferry sailings from the Port of Dover in Kent were cancelled shortly before 0830 GMT, with P&O and SeaFrance services to Calais, Norfolk Line crossings to Dunkirk and SpeedFerries sailings to Boulogne all affected. |
| The port of Newhaven in East Sussex, which provides crossings to Dieppe, has been closed all day and some ferries between Lancashire and the Isle of Man have also been cancelled. | |
| Network Rail has announced it is enforcing precautionary speed restrictions on some lines with Chiltern Railways, Central Trains, South Eastern Trains and First Great Western, among others, running no services faster than 50mph. | Network Rail has announced it is enforcing precautionary speed restrictions on some lines with Chiltern Railways, Central Trains, South Eastern Trains and First Great Western, among others, running no services faster than 50mph. |
| Virgin Trains has cancelled every other train between Birmingham and London Euston until the mid-afternoon, running just one an hour, while its services between London and Manchester have also been reduced. | Virgin Trains has cancelled every other train between Birmingham and London Euston until the mid-afternoon, running just one an hour, while its services between London and Manchester have also been reduced. |
| This boat was washed up on the beach at Mudeford in Dorset | This boat was washed up on the beach at Mudeford in Dorset |
| The Shrewsbury to Chester rail line was closed after a train collided with a tree just outside Chirk Station, just over the Welsh border. | The Shrewsbury to Chester rail line was closed after a train collided with a tree just outside Chirk Station, just over the Welsh border. |
| Another train hit a tree on the line between Uckfield and London Bridge at Sanderstead in Surrey. There were no injuries and the train was not damaged but the London-bound line was blocked. | Another train hit a tree on the line between Uckfield and London Bridge at Sanderstead in Surrey. There were no injuries and the train was not damaged but the London-bound line was blocked. |
| Train operators ONE and GNER were operating a revised and reduced timetable on the East Coast Mainline, with only two trains an hour between London and Newcastle. | Train operators ONE and GNER were operating a revised and reduced timetable on the East Coast Mainline, with only two trains an hour between London and Newcastle. |
| Lorry blown over | Lorry blown over |
| The Queen Elizabeth II bridge over the Thames, which links the M25 between Essex and Kent has been closed due to the high winds, with southbound traffic diverted through one of the tunnels which normally carries only northbound vehicles. | The Queen Elizabeth II bridge over the Thames, which links the M25 between Essex and Kent has been closed due to the high winds, with southbound traffic diverted through one of the tunnels which normally carries only northbound vehicles. |
| The new crossing to the Isle of Sheppey has also been closed and elsewhere in Kent six vehicles were involved in an crash on the London-bound M20 between junctions five and six, causing delays. | The new crossing to the Isle of Sheppey has also been closed and elsewhere in Kent six vehicles were involved in an crash on the London-bound M20 between junctions five and six, causing delays. |
| In the West, the M48 old Severn bridge was shut, with traffic being diverted via the second Severn crossing. | In the West, the M48 old Severn bridge was shut, with traffic being diverted via the second Severn crossing. |
| In Lancashire, the M6 northbound was down to one lane after a lorry was blown over in the high winds. | In Lancashire, the M6 northbound was down to one lane after a lorry was blown over in the high winds. |
| Waves were crashing up onto the seafront at Blackpool | Waves were crashing up onto the seafront at Blackpool |
| The HGV, carrying plastic bottles, was thrown off its wheels at about 0900 GMT and shed its load over the carriageway between junctions 32 and 33, north of Preston. | The HGV, carrying plastic bottles, was thrown off its wheels at about 0900 GMT and shed its load over the carriageway between junctions 32 and 33, north of Preston. |
| And a lorry jack-knifed in strong gusts while travelling over the Thelwall Viaduct on the M6 between junction 21 and 20, near Warrington. | And a lorry jack-knifed in strong gusts while travelling over the Thelwall Viaduct on the M6 between junction 21 and 20, near Warrington. |
| The high winds have also caused damage to Southsea Pier, in Portsmouth, where glass tiles were ripped off the roof. | The high winds have also caused damage to Southsea Pier, in Portsmouth, where glass tiles were ripped off the roof. |
| The roof of a bar in Bournemouth town centre collapsed, scattering bricks and rubble, with one man receiving a minor head injury after being struck by debris. | The roof of a bar in Bournemouth town centre collapsed, scattering bricks and rubble, with one man receiving a minor head injury after being struck by debris. |
| The two men rescued in the Peak District were taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia after becoming disorientated while walking in heavy rain and fog in the Staffordshire Moorlands on Wednesday. They had called police at about 0900 GMT. | The two men rescued in the Peak District were taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia after becoming disorientated while walking in heavy rain and fog in the Staffordshire Moorlands on Wednesday. They had called police at about 0900 GMT. |
| Are you in the areas affected by the heavy storms? How are you preparing for them? Send us your experiences using the form below: | Are you in the areas affected by the heavy storms? How are you preparing for them? Send us your experiences using the form below: |
| If you have any pictures of the storms you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk | If you have any pictures of the storms you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk |
| Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video | Click here for terms and conditions on sending photos and video |