Storm Bert deaths as two men killed after red weather alert issued

Two men have died in car accidents as Storm Bert batters the country with 70mph gusts. Hampshire Police were called to the southbound carriageway of the A34 near Winchester, between Kings Worthy and Winnall, where a tree had collapsed onto a black Mercedes.

Sadly the driver of the car, a man in his 60s, was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident, which also damaged a silver Skoda Kodiaq, occurred at around 7.47am, and lengthy lane closures were put in place.

It came just six hours after another driver, a 34-year-old man, was killed when a car he was driving left a road and hit a brick wall in West Yorkshire.

READ MORE: Get a free National Trust day pass for your family day out this winter!

READ MORE: All 20,000 tickets to HMS Prince of Wales sell out in two days

West Yorkshire Police reported a 'single-vehicle collision' at 12.59am on Moorhead Lane in Shipley, at the junction with Beechwood Grove. Officers found a blue Renault Captur, which had been travelling towards Saltaire, had collided with a wall.

The driver was treated at the scene but was pronounced dead a short time later. The road remained closed while the area was cleared.

Both Hampshire Police and West Yorkshire Police said it was unclear whether either incident was related to Storm Bert, which swept across the UK last night with strong winds, heavy rain, snow and ice. Amber weather warnings were put in place in some areas, signalling a “potential risk to life and property”.

Travel was widely disrupted, with roads closed and some train routes cancelled throughout Saturday and rail companies urging passengers to avoid travelling to certain areas. Winds of up to 68mph have been recorded and 13cm of snow fell in some parts of the country this morning, a Met Office spokesperson said. Some 37 flood warnings remain in place tonight.