See the developing stories on a major storm that hit parts of the UK, mainly the South of England, at around 5am Monday (28) morning.

Three [since confirmed as 4] killed as storm batters UK but West Midlands escapes

From Express & Star UK

As a major storm battered parts of the UK, with winds of almost 100mph causing flooding and major travel disruption, we want to hear your stories of weather problems across the region.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

PHOTOS 1-5 E&S – Express & Star

For more on this story and to view the videos go to:

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2013/10/28/west-midlands-warned-over-weather-as-storms-to-come/

Related story:

Four die as storm hits southern UK

From BBC

Jeremy Cooke reports: “The storm was brief but powerful and intense… with tragic consequences”

The death toll after a storm battered southern Britain, leading to 600,000 homes losing power, rail and flight cancellations, has risen to four.

A teenager in Kent and a man in Watford were killed by falling trees.

A man and a woman died in west London after a falling tree caused a suspected gas explosion and house collapse.

Network Rail said the damage to railway lines had been “worse than expected”, with more than 100 trees on the lines, but some train services had resumed.

The strongest gust of 99mph (159km/h) was recorded on the Isle of Wight.

BBC forecasters say the storm has now ended in the UK – leaving a “broadly windy day”.

Bethany Freeman was staying in a building adjacent to her family home

Bethany Freeman, 17, suffered fatal injuries when the tree came down where she was sleeping in Edenbridge, at about 07:20 GMT.

Ch Supt Steve Corbishly from Kent Police said: “She was in a static home adjoining the house she lives in with her family. Tragically, she did die at the scene. It’s not being treated as suspicious but we’re working with Fire and Rescue to determine the exact cause.”

A man in his 50s was pronounced dead at the scene after a tree crushed a red Peugeot 307 at Lower High Street in Watford, Hertfordshire, at 6:50 GMT.

Mark Joseph, who was passing by before the emergency services arrived, said: “We tried to assist, trying to get the tree off, but it was impossible… The poor chap didn’t stand a chance.”

The Environment Agency had dozens of flood warnings in place – in areas of south-west England, East Anglia and the Midlands where flooding was expected, but the number is now down to four. There are also more than 100 flood alerts, where flooding is possible, across England and Wales.

It says there is an increased risk of flooding from rivers following the heavy rainfall, and large waves and strong winds may continue to cause some minor coastal flooding along the south coast.

The Energy Networks Association, which represents power companies across the UK, confirmed 200,500 homes were still without power.

A spokesman said 407,000 households which lost power earlier had been reconnected, but more had been cut off as the storm moved north and eastwards.

Network Rail said several hundred staff have been working to monitor conditions and react to any damage.

Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s managing director of network operations, said: “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.”

Anthony Smith, chief executive of rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus, said it was “too early to tell if the industry made the right call when cancelling so many services, but the fact that major incidents have been avoided is good news”.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the deaths caused by the storm were “hugely regrettable”.

Asked whether train companies had over-reacted, he said: “These are difficult things to handle because you don’t know for certain just how strong the storm will be.”

In other developments:

The man and women who died in west London were found after three houses collapsed and two others were damaged following a gas explosion caused by a fallen tree on Bath Road in Hounslow, the London Fire Brigade said. Three people escaped before firefighters arrived and an elderly woman was taken to hospital

Coastguards say they will not resume the search for the 14-year-old boy – who has been named as Dylan Alkins – who was swept away in Newhaven, East Sussex on Sunday

A double-decker bus “rolled over” in Suffolk, injuring the driver and several passengers. Witnesses told police the vehicle blew over at 08:00 GMT, rolling onto its side and coming to a stop in a field in Hadleigh

Both reactors in Dungeness power station’s B units have been automatically shut down after power to the site was cut off. The site’s own generators are providing power to the site

The Metropolitan Police says it received 792 calls to its 101 and 999 numbers between 06:00 and 08:00 GMT, compared with the 200 it would normally expect. The most common call was for “tree in road”

Sussex Police say 125 trees have fallen across Sussex – including one on a taxi in Eastbourne, from which the driver climbed out uninjured

The helter-skelter at Clacton Pier in Essex has blown down, but the structure has not fallen into the sea

London Mayor Boris Johnson has chaired an emergency resilience meeting involving all emergency services and relevant agencies – and later made a statement thanking them for their hard work “dealing with one of the fiercest storms of the last few years”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has cancelled his monthly press conference because of a crane collapsed on the roof of the Cabinet Office

The Met Office said a gust of 99mph (159km/h) was recorded at Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight, at 05:00 GMT.

BBC weather forecasters said in more populous areas including Lyneham, near Swindon; Yeovilton in Somerset and Hurn, near Bournemouth, speeds of 74-75mph (119-121km/h) had been recorded.

It has released figures showing the strongest winds and heaviest rainfall during the storm – with Otterbourne in Hampshire receiving 50mm of rain.

Wind speeds of 115 mph were recorded during the so-called Great Storm of October 1987.

Photos not marked E&S are from BBC

For more on this story and to see many more pictures and video go to:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24699748