Train lines closed and thousands still without power after Storm Darragh
Two men were killed by falling trees hitting their vehicles on the weekend and thousands were still without power on Monday, as ITV News' Hannah Thomas reports
Thousands of people are still without power and some train lines are closed after Storm Darragh battered parts of the UK over the weekend.
Fallen trees and debris blocked roads and train routes, with millions warned to stay indoors as wind gusts hit 96mph in Devon on Saturday.
Winds will gradually ease with noticeably less rainfall by Wednesday but temperatures are set to stay in the single figures, the Met Office said.
Two men were killed by falling trees hitting their vehicles on Saturday, while the Energy Networks Association said around 118,000 customers were still without power on Sunday evening.
Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick said: “Storm Darragh has now moved its way off towards the southeast, so things are going to start to settle down over the next couple of days.
“But it is still going to remain quite blustery, especially for south and southeast of England, for the next day at least.”
Cloud towards the southeast will bring the chance of localised, potentially heavy showers but these should move through quickly, Mr Eslick said.
Theresa White, 55, who lives near Rackenford, Devon, said her family were lighting candles in the “pitch black” after going more than 24 hours without power due to the storm.
“We had no internet and all our phone signals weren’t working, so we were basically cut off and we do live in a wooded area,” she said.
One of the men who died on Saturday due to falling trees that struck their vehicles was identified as football coach Paul Fiddler.
Mr Fiddler, who was in his 40s, was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
West Midlands Police said the other victim was killed when a tree fell and hit his car on Silver Birch Road, Erdington, on Saturday afternoon.
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