In pictures: 90mph winds, fallen trees and blocked roads - when Storm Darragh hit the West Country

A fallen tree in Mawnan Smith near Falmouth, which narrowly avoided hitting an historic church.

Thousands remain without power after Storm Darragh hit the West Country.

A red weather warning for strong winds was issued by the Met Office, and gusts of up to 90mph were recorded along parts of the coast in the early hours of Saturday 7 December.

The storm saw roads blocked, trains cancelled due to debris on the line, flights grounded and trees down across the region.

As of 2pm on Monday, 14,594 properties remain without power in the South West. The National Grid says it has restored electricity supplies to 858,993 customers since the start of the storm.

The unusually powerful winds continued throughout the weekend, wreaking havoc right across the South West.

Flights from the airports in Bristol and Exeter were cancelled or delayed, hundreds of train services were scrapped due to blocked lines and sailings of the St Mawes Passenger Ferry were suspended.

Meanwhile, thousands were left without power as high voltage cables were torn down, in some cases causing devastating consequences.

Here are some of the pictures that captured the worst of Storm Darragh's damage across the South West:

A large tree that fell in Oxford Street, Burnham-on-Sea during the storm. Credit: ITV News
On its 10th anniversary, Soapbox Children's Theatre's new performance tent was destroyed in Plymouth. Credit: Soapbox Children's Theatre
A tree down at Mawnan Smith near Falmouth, which was torn from its roots by strong winds.
Mawnan Old Church, which narrowly avoided being crushed by the fallen tree.
The clear up at Tropiquaria zoo in West Somerset where a whole row of trees collapsed, crushing fencing in the tapir paddock. Credit: Tropiquaria zoo.
Staff at the zoo said several of the animals needed to be temporarily removed from the site due to damage or risk of damage. Credit: Tropiquaria zoo.
Staff said: "The tapir has been very busy watching us all day and is probably wondering why her home has been completely trashed!" Credit: Tropiquaria Zoo.
Another site trashed by the storm was Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park in North Devon, which has had more than 20 trees torn down. Credit: Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
Staff are warning that it will take them many weeks to restore the site to its pre-storm appearance and ensure all enclosures are secure. Credit: Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park
Another tourist attraction forced to close due to the storm was Longleat, where parts of The Festival of Light display were torn down. Credit: Longleat Safari Park.
Fallen trees also caused travel disruption - with branches blocking a road in Kingsweston as seen here. Credit: Charles Gunter
In Malmesbury, cars were forced to turn around after a collapsed tree completely blocked this road. Credit: Andrew Denley
Workers begin works to clear Cecil Road in Weston-super-Mare, which became blocked due to two trees. Credit: Rob Palfrey
It wasn't just trees that made roads treacherous: Collapsed boarding blocks a road in Clevedon while high winds closed the Severn Bridges.
Thousand of passengers faced long delays and cancellations at Bristol Airport, where strong winds made flights challenging.
The winds also brought huge waves to the coast as well as causing damage inland - this was the scene at Watchet in Somerset. Credit: Liz Elmont

  • Storm Darragh stirred up huge waves at Weston-super-Mare.

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