A second victim has been claimed by Storm Darragh after a man was killed by a falling tree landing on his car.
Thousands of homes have been left without power as Storm Darragh continues to pummel the UK, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
West Midlands Police said they were called to Silver Birch Road, Erdington, just after 3pm today, following reports that a tree had fallen and hit a car as a result of the storm conditions.
Sgt Benjamin Parsons, of our Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the man’s family at this time, and his next of kin have been informed.
‘A report will be passed onto the coroner. Anyone who saw what happened or who may have dashcam or mobile phone footage, is asked to please get in touch.’
This comes after another man, in his 40s, died earlier this morning after a tree fell on his van in Lancashire.
The man was driving his Citroen vehicle on the A59 at Longton, near Preston, at about 9am on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detective Sergeant Matt Davidson, from Lancashire Police‘s serious collision investigation unit, said: ‘Very sadly, this incident has resulted in the death of a man and our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.
‘An investigation is ongoing, and I would appeal to anyone who saw what happened or has any dashcam or mobile phone footage to please get in touch.’
A man has died after his car was hit by a falling tree during strong Storm Darragh
The crash occurred on Sutton Road in the Erdington area of Birmingham on Saturday afternoon
BURNHAM-ON-SEA: A tree narrowly misses a house after being blown over in Storm Darragh on Oxford Street in Burnham-on-Sea
Meanwhile, a tree has blocked the Gatwick Express line and the National Rail has warned passengers to not even bother travelling between London St Pancras and Luton ‘until further notice’.
More than 175,000 houses have lost their electricity connection as roofs were ripped up and trees were brought down across Britain following the Government’s ‘risk-to-life’ alert, which came into force at 1am on Saturday for those covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for high winds.
Residents of the worst-hit areas in Northern Ireland as well as the western coasts of Wales and England have been urged to stay indoors amid fears that flying debris and falling trees could lead to fatalities.
Darragh also wreaked havoc with traffic as the Prince of Wales Bridge over the River Severn and the nearby Severn Bridge is closed, while a number of rail services and flights have been disrupted due to strong winds.
Sports events across the UK and Ireland were thrown into disarray, including a Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton which was axed over safety fears.
In Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, a large tree was uprooted and blown on to houses, while just along the coast at Weston-super-Mare huge waves crashed against the sea defences, threatening sightseers.
At Birmingham Airport, pilots struggled to land and take off in 60mph crosswinds, and Cardiff Airport was forced to close its runway for most of the morning. Several British Airways flights to and from Heathrow, Paris, the United States and the Netherlands were also cancelled.
Meanwhile, tourist attraction Llandudno Pier in North Wales was battered by winds of 93mph, which destroyed parts of the historic structure.
Paul Williams, general manager of the pier, said it may cost £250,000 to repair the damage, adding: ‘Overnight, one of the kiosks, one of the original ones, which is roughly 148 years old, was ripped up.
‘It’s the first time in its history that it has been tipped to one side.
‘The ice cream stand at the end of the pier has been ripped up and it went into the sea, and there are about 1,000 pieces washed up on the other side of the bay. The roof has come off the toilet and there’s real fear that we’ll potentially lose the bar and cafe down the end as well.
‘We may have to look at the pier not reopening for a considerable amount of time.’
WALES: High winds ripped the roof off Pentre Baptist Church in the tiny settlement of Mochdre
LLANDUDNO: Llandudno’s pier took a battering with kiosks ripped from their positions and thrown across the pier against another kiosk
NORTHERN IRELAND: An Airport bus has crashed into a property on the Ballyrobin Road near Antrim in Northern Ireland
PENARTH: A person stands next to a car damaged by a fallen tree, after Storm Darragh hit the country in Penarth, Wales
The Met Office has issued yellow and amber warnings across Britain on Saturday
PENARTH: A view shows a damaged car, after Storm Darragh hit the country in Penarth, Wales
NORTHERN IRELAND: A huge tree blocks the slip road to the M1 to Belfast in Ballycare
BLACKPOOL: People run in front of The Blackpool Tower after Storm Darragh hit the country
SWANSEA: Waves crash into the Mumbles headland near Swansea as Storm Darragh makes its presence felt across the UK
LLANDUDNO: Huts on Llandudno pier – a major tourist attraction – were damaged in the storm
BURNHAM-ON-SEA: Contractors work to clear a tree that has fallen on properties following last night’s storm winds in Burnham-on-Sea
The Energy Networks Association said yesterday that 177,000 homes in England, Scotland and Wales were without power, but that around 768,000 customers had been reconnected since the storm hit, with more than 1,000 engineers deployed.
And a Lancashire Police investigation is under way after the force was called at around 9am yesterday to the A59 at Longton, near Preston, where a man had died. The victim, in his 40s, was driving his Citroen van when a tree fell on his vehicle.
Millions of Britons were sent emergency alerts to their mobile phones in what was the largest use of the warning system yet, urging residents to avoid driving and to ‘stay indoors if you can’.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds described the storm as a ‘challenging situation’, adding: ‘About three million homes will have had the emergency alert system to their mobile phone. I would just encourage anyone who has had that to follow the advice.’ Last night there were 27 flood warnings and 145 flood alerts in place, with the Environment Agency warning people not to drive through flood water and to avoid from swollen rivers and coastal paths.
It added: ‘Heavy rain may cause flash flooding. It’s important you know how to prepare.’
The Met Office’s red weather warning for wind – the most serious – led to the cancellation of events yesterday, including Christmas attractions, and the closure of all royal parks.
A yellow weather warning for strong winds across England and Wales will be in place until 6pm tonight.
The road in Erdington where a second man has died remains closed at this time and drivers are urged to avoid the area.
Anyone with information should contact us via Live Chat on our website, or by calling 101, quoting log 2695 of 7 December.
