Three killed as storm batters UK but West Midlands escapes

Three people have died, hundreds of thousands of homes have been left without power and travellers suffered transport chaos after hurricane-force conditions battered the Midlands and other parts of Britain.

But the West Midlands and Staffordshire escaped the worst of the weather despite the region being warned to brace for the major storm and 100 miles per hour winds.

The storm's third victim was found at an address in Hounslow, west London, which was devastated after a falling tree led to a suspected gas explosion on Monday morning.

• Has your area been hit by the storm? Is there flooding or travel disruption? Send us your pictures and videos at Star Witness or let us know in the comments.

A woman was taken to hospital and a second woman was still unaccounted for following the incident on Bath Road.

A 17-year-old girl was killed in Hever, Kent, when hurricane-force conditions blew a tree on to the caravan where she was sleeping at 7.18am.

Kent Police said emergency services attended the scene but were unable to save the girl.

A man in his 50s also died today after a tree fell on a car in Watford. He was killed when a tree fell on the Peugeot 307 car he was driving in Lower High Street, Watford, at around 6.50am, Hertfordshire Police said.

The Met Office lifted its amber warning as the heart of the storm blew away from Norfolk and over the North Sea to continental Europe, leaving a trail of destruction and disruption behind it.

The south of the country was hardest hit overnight, with other areas warned they could face problems today.

More than 75,000 homes were left without power, flights and train services were cancelled and 150 flood warnings are in place. A teenage boy is also feared dead after being swept out to sea in Newhaven, East Sussex, yesterday afternoon. The 14-year-old had been swimming with friends 10 metres off shore.

Train users in the West Midlands were warned they could also be affected – despite the region so far escaping the brunt of the storm named St Jude – the patron saint for desperate and lost causes – because his feast day is today.

The Newhaven lifeboat searches for a teenager washed into sea

Rain fell overnight and this morning in the West Midlands, bringing some flooding to the area. Drivers faced flooding on the A458 Bridgnorth Road in Stourbridge, while two lanes were partially blocked on Hagley Road West, in Bearwood. Flooding was also reported on Birmingham New Road in Dudley.

Elsewhere, at least 100 trees were discovered on lines across the South East this morning, Network Rail said. Robin Gisby, Network Rail's managing director of network operations, said:

"We have had several hundred staff on duty through the night and into the morning to monitor conditions and react to any damage or disruption."

He went on: "While conditions were as forecast during the early part of the morning, the damage caused by the storm has been more severe than expected as it has tracked eastwards to the north of London and across to East Anglia.

"As a result, the West Coast, East Coast and Midland main lines are all currently blocked at their southern ends as a result of fallen trees and damage to power lines and all services are currently suspended on the Anglia route."

In central London, Whitehall was closed both ways between Parliament Square and Horse Guards Avenue after a crane collapsed on to the roof of the Cabinet Office. London Mayor Boris Johnson was chairing an emergency resilience meeting involving all emergency services later this morning.

Satellite imagery shows the storm moving across the UK in this Met Office video

Scottish and Southern Energy said more than 38,000 customers were left without power in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, while Western Power reported more than 3,800 power cuts in the same areas, Downing Street said.

Trains across the country have been disrupted, with many operators not expecting to run services until later in the day.

Transport for London said there was disruption to six Underground lines. The Environment Agency has 137 flood alerts in place, warning people to be prepared, and 13 flood warnings, with 12 in the South West. Winds of 80mph have been reported, while a gust of 99mph was recorded by the Met Office at the Isle of Wight.

Send us your weather pictures with Star Witness. Click here to upload your images, email picturedesk@expressandstar.co.uk or tweet @Expressandstar.