Cars submerged by Storm Brendan flooding after high winds blew roof onto Slough street
Cars were left underwater and a roof was blown off a building as Storm Brendan wreaked havoc across the UK.
Heavy rain brought flooding to some parts of the country, with flood alerts issued by the Environment Agency, particularly for coastal areas.
The flood alerts come as a roof above the High Street in Slough came crashing to the ground on Tuesday night as Storm Brendan also brought strong winds to the UK.
Stranded vehicles
In Christchurch, Dorset, high tides flooded car parks by the quay, with the same happening in nearby Mudeford.
Local resident Steve Hogen, who filmed the flooding in the early hours of Wednesday morning, told the PA news agency: “I’ve lived in Mudeford for 11 years and I personally think the flooding is getting more often and worse.”
Inland, the River Avon burst its bank in places on Wednesday morning, spilling on to roads near Chippenham, Wiltshire, and leaving some vehicles stranded.
“The B4069 is almost impassable with rising water,” said Paul Hill, 42, from Studley in Warwickshire.
“Lot of very risk-taking drivers out there who seem to be diving headlong into the Avon and being surprised how deep it is.”
On Tuesday, a car was pictured in the sea during rising tides in Starr Gate near Blackpool, Lancashire, but was later recovered by the Coastguard.
Roof collapse
A large structure was blown off a building in Slough, which is believed to be both residential and commercial, as gusts in the area reached over 50mph, according to the Met Office.
Taxi driver Haris Baig, 30, from Slough, said he had to slam on his brakes as he saw a large section of roof crash down in front of him.
He said: "At first I thought it was scaffolding, but then I realised the whole roof had come down. There was a massive amount of noise.
"It was a disaster. It was a miracle no one was killed.”
A spokesman for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said three fire engines were in attendance at the scene and they were "not aware of anyone trapped" under the roof.
"The roof has come off in the wind. The current situation is trying to make the scene safe," he said, adding the fire service was not "100% sure" if anyone was still in the damaged building.
Thames Valley Police said they do not believe anyone was seriously injured in the incident.
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"It is believed that part of a building in the High Street has collapsed as a result of the weather conditions," the force said on Twitter.
"We do not believe that anyone has been seriously injured and we are working with other emergency services to make the scene safe.”
A statement from Slough Borough Council posted on Twitter said: "We are aware of the incident in Slough High Street and specialist officers are on route to assist emergency services.
We are at Slough High Street with @TVP_Slough, @RBFRSofficial & @SloughCouncil. A roof from a block of flats has been blown across the road which is now closed. Fortunately, no injuries currently & final checks being undertaken to confirm no one under the debris @SCAS999RSO pic.twitter.com/dLLteABYp0
— SCAS (@SCAS999) January 14, 2020
We are continuing to work with emergency services and the local authority in Slough where a roof has blown off a building we lease. There have been no reports of any injuries and we have been assured by the police and fire service that residents are safe to stay in their homes.
— Paradigm Housing (@ParadigmHousing) January 14, 2020
"Please avoid the area if at all possible and take note of road closures.”
Housing firm Paradigm Housing said the incident in Slough had affected one of its properties, although it is unclear whether the roof had come off its building.
In a statement on Twitter, the firm said: "We are aware of an incident affecting one of our properties in Slough.”
The council asked members of the public to "please be patient" due to heavy congestion in the area.
More to come?
Weather warnings are no longer in place, but strong winds and rain are expected to return on Thursday.
The Met Office said conditions are set to improve on Wednesday, with a dry and bright day expected for most of the UK except for some showers in the west and in northern Scotland.
However, wet and windy conditions are expected to return on Thursday, beginning in Ireland and Scotland before pushing eastwards across the rest of the UK – with winds of around 50mph to 60mph on the Irish Sea and between 40mph and 50mph inland.
The Met Office added conditions are expected to settle on Friday and into the weekend, but temperatures are predicted to drop – with an average of around 8C across the country.
After plaguing parts of Ireland, causing thousands of homes and businesses to lose power, the storm brought high winds to parts of England and Scotland.
A second low-pressure front brought further high winds to much of England and Wales on Tuesday, with the Environment Agency warning strong winds, high tides and large waves could lead to flooding.
The high winds forced airlines to divert flights scheduled to land at Gatwick Airport, while also causing disruption to ferries and railways.
Passengers faced delays and temporary speed limits due to the heavy winds and fallen trees, while drivers were advised to take extra care on the roads.
Cross Country said that due to the strong gales, services were suspended between Southampton Central and Bournemouth.