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Severe flood warnings issued in England as man dies in storm Fierce storms force mass evacuations in England as man is killed
(about 3 hours later)
A man has died and thousands of homes have been evacuated as fierce winds battered parts of England. A man has died and thousands of homes have been evacuated or left without power as a fierce storm battered large parts of England.
The man was riding a mobility scooter when he was struck by a falling tree in Retford, Nottinghamshire.The man was riding a mobility scooter when he was struck by a falling tree in Retford, Nottinghamshire.
A tide of more than 6ft (1.8m) above the normal maximum is expected at 22:30 GMT, caused by a spring tide and severe winds, the Environment Agency said. The Environment Agency said Thursday's North Sea tidal surge was set to be the worst in 60 years.
Thousands of homes in Cumbria and the North East are without power while rush hour traffic has been badly affected. Philip Rothwell from the organisation said he was "very concerned" about what may happen overnight.
Matthew Philpott, from the Environment Agency, said: "There's some nasty weather in the North Sea at the moment with gusts of gale force north-westerly winds coupled with spring floods and a large tidal surge." "We think it will be equal to if not worse than that which we saw in 1953 which was a disastrous flood causing many casualties," he said.
The North Sea surge is the worst since January 1953, the agency has confirmed. In Norfolk, the army was called in to help build temporary flood barriers in Gorleston, the Conservative MP for Great Yarmouth, Brandon Lewis, said.
Flooding was also reported in Blakeney and Wells-next-the-Sea.
Earlier, 20,000 homes across Cumbria and Teesside were left without power as the heavy winds and tidal surge made its way down the east coast from Scotland.
Roofs blown offRoofs blown off
The River Tyne and River Tees burst their banks in the North East as heavy rain forced dozens of major road closures from about 16:30 GMT.The River Tyne and River Tees burst their banks in the North East as heavy rain forced dozens of major road closures from about 16:30 GMT.
Cleveland Police had to warn people of the risks of standing too close to waves which clattered the seafront at Redcar and Saltburn. Dave Cocks from the RNLI in Redcar said the tide on the River Tees was the highest measured "for 150 years".
In Lincolnshire, people were warned to leave their homes and members of public were asked not to attend the accident and emergency department of Pilgrim Hospital in Boston unless absolutely necessary.
In the Midlands, a pilot trying to land a plane at Birmingham Airport was forced to abort the manoeuvre at the last moment due to heavy winds.In the Midlands, a pilot trying to land a plane at Birmingham Airport was forced to abort the manoeuvre at the last moment due to heavy winds.
A separate Flybe flight from Jersey, due to land at the same time, was diverted to East Midlands Airport because of the same problem.A separate Flybe flight from Jersey, due to land at the same time, was diverted to East Midlands Airport because of the same problem.
Train passengers were reportedly stranded at Manchester Piccadilly after services were cancelled but Network Rail said it was attempting to keep "as much of the network open as possible". The storm was forecast to move south throughout the evening with emergency services urging homeowners to take precautions.
In North Yorkshire, parts of Whitby were flooded and businesses were hit when sea defences were breached in Scarborough. It was expected to drift down the east coast into Suffolk with Lowestoft, Southwold and surrounding marshes expected to be under threat at about midnight.
Thousands of people in Boston, Lincolnshire, have been warned to move to a "place of safety" while reception centres have also opened in the area. High winds had earlier caused lories to overturn in Greater Manchester and on the Redheugh Bridge in Newcastle during the morning rush hour.
The storm is expected to move south throughout the evening with emergency services urging homeowners to take precautions.
Police are visiting 9,000 properties in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, advising residents to evacuate.
In Jaywick, on the Essex coast, have been told to leave by the fire service.
Chief Fire Officer David Johnson said 2,500 homes were being evacuated as flood levels were expected to reach 0.5m below the top of the sea wall.
In Norfolk, people in the Cobholm Island and Southtown areas of Great Yarmouth have been warned to prepare to leave.
The first surges are expected to hit the north Norfolk coast at about 20:00 GMT with low-lying places such as Wells Quay, Blakeney and Salthouses most at risk.
The surge is expected to proceed down the east coast into Suffolk with Lowestoft, Southwold and surrounding marshes expected to be under threat at about midnight.
In Greater Manchester, a lorry overturned on Barton Bridge, on the M60, near the Trafford Centre.
Another lorry overturned on Redheugh Bridge in Newcastle during the morning rush hour.
An Easyjet flight from Bristol to Edinburgh was diverted to Newcastle due to the high winds, but was struck by lightning on approach to the airport.An Easyjet flight from Bristol to Edinburgh was diverted to Newcastle due to the high winds, but was struck by lightning on approach to the airport.
In New Brighton, Merseyside, flooding took place during high tide on the seafront.In New Brighton, Merseyside, flooding took place during high tide on the seafront.
Elsewhere in England:Elsewhere in England:
The Environment Agency said people who have been warned of severe flooding should get their belongings to a safe place and ensure they have any medication they need. High winds and heavy rain led to long delays for commuters during the evening rush hour.
If an evacuation becomes necessary the agency has asked people to prepare to leave early and to respond to instructions from emergency services staff. Network Rail said it had attempted to keep as much of the network open as possible but there were reports of passengers being stranded at stations including Manchester Piccadilly.
"We do not want everyone leaving for our emergency centres or relatives inland at the same time as this is likely to clog roads and make travel difficult," a spokesman said. East Coast said it hoped to run a normal service on Friday after severe disruption on Thursday.
The threat of severe weather is already affecting some businesses and a few schools.
Police in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex are on alert to help the Environment Agency.