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Man dies after car hit by falling tree as Storm Erik and high winds hit large parts of UK

High winds brought down scaffolding in Chelsea, London (PA)
High winds brought down scaffolding in Chelsea, London (PA)

A 50-year-old man died after his car was struck by a falling tree amid high winds in Devon as Storm Erik hit Britain.

A woman, in another car, was also injured in the incident, said police, which happened near Buckfastleigh, on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park.

Officers said a tree was blown over by the high winds and it landed on top of the man’s Alfa Romeo car at around 5.30am this morning.

The woman’s Hyundai then crashed into the tree moments later.

High winds have been predicted throughout the weekend (PA)
High winds have been predicted throughout the weekend (PA)

Police told the BBC: ‘At this time we believe that the second vehicle has come along after the tree has fallen and has actually driven into the tree, having not seen it until the last second.’

The man has not been named but is from Totnes, said the police.

The woman, who is in her 20s, was taken to nearby Derriford Hospital.

It came as Storm Erik brought strong gusts and heavy rain to large parts of the UK,, with weather warnings in places.

Exposed coasts of Northern Ireland could see gales of 70mph on Friday while heavy rain could lead to flooding in Scotland, the Met Office has warned.

The stormy weather will result in some ‘quite nasty travelling conditions’, meteorologist Sarah Kent said.

The Met Office has issued two weather warnings for Friday for strong winds across Northern Ireland and western Scotland until the evening, and for heavy rain in Scotland right through until Saturday afternoon.

Elsewhere, the Welsh and Cornish coasts could see winds of 55mph, while along the coast of southern England gusts could reach 50mph, as the recent windy weather was set to continue.

There were reports of train services being suspended in Surrey after a tree fell on the line.

‘It’s going to be a noticeably windy day everywhere today,’ said Ms Kent.

‘And that is going to be in association with outbreaks of heavy rain too, so there will be some quite nasty travelling conditions out there this morning.’

While there is expected to be a lull in the fiercest winds on Friday evening, gusts will pick up again around midnight, when a warning for wind will cover Northern Ireland, southern Scotland and much of Northern England.

A missing Bengal Eagle Owl, like the one above, is missing in Cornwall (PA)
A missing Bengal Eagle Owl, like the one above, is missing in Cornwall (PA)

Winds are expected to ease off by Sunday.

It follows a day of strong winds on Thursday which saw power cuts, travel delays and even a lost owl.

The bird, a Bengal eagle owl known as Zig, flew from the Cornish Birds of Prey Centre near Wadebridge after the side of its aviary was blown out.

Northern Ireland and Scotland have received weather warnings (PA)
Northern Ireland and Scotland have received weather warnings (PA)

Kelly Grigg, who works at the bird centre, said that if anyone found him and he was wet ‘they could put a towel over him and scoop him up because if they get soaking they can’t fly’.

She also urged people to contact the centre if they see Zig.

Weather conditions forced the Queen Elizabeth II bridge over the Thames in Kent was closed because of the conditions, causing long queues on the M25.

And in Cornwall, more than 100 homes were left without electricity after falling trees brought down power lines.

Storm Erik was named by Irish forecaster Met Eireann on Thursday and overnight brought winds of 56mph to Cork, in the west of Ireland.

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