Thousands of homes left with out power as Storm Aileen batters UK

Thousands of homes were left without power and travel was disrupted as Storm Aileen hit Britain.

The first named storm of the year brought heavy rain and high winds overnight, with commuters warned to take care following the severe weather.

Many parts of England and Wales, where weather warnings had been issued, saw gusts of between 55 to 65 mph, the Met Office said.

Peak winds of 83mph were recorded at The Needles on the Isle of Wight, while Mumbles in Wales recorded a top speed of 74mph.

Northern Powergrid - which covers the North East, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire - said 7,400 homes had lost power overnight, although most have since had their supply restored.

Electricty North West said 1,067 homes had been affected.

Heavy rain fell across the country overnight, with Bainbridge in North Yorkshire seeing 35.4mm and Walney Island in Cumbria recording 27.8mm.

Highways England urged drivers to take extra care on their journeys to work, warning that people should delay travelling if the weather becomes too severe.

In North Yorkshire, the River Ure burst its banks making the A684 impassable.

The M48 Severn Crossing in south Gloucestershire and the Ouse Bridge on the M62 in East Yorkshire were closed due to high winds but have since been reopened.

Motorists are also facing road closures up and down the country due to fallen trees.

Police forces in Staffordshire, Cheshire and Gloucestershire have all reported trees being blown over by the winds overnight.

Storm Aileen also caused rail disruption on Wednesday morning, as fallen trees blocked the tracks on a number of routes.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "Heavy rain and very strong winds have been forecast to affect parts of England, Wales and Scotland.

"Railway lines in areas affected by the worst weather may suffer disruption caused by falling trees and large branches, power cuts and debris being blown onto the track."

The Met Office's chief forecaster Frank Saunders said: "The low pressure system that is bringing these strong winds will move fairly swiftly from west to east over the UK and although there will be some disruption through Wednesday morning, the winds will ease by the afternoon leaving a day of blustery showers."