Britain battered by 80mph winds

Forecasters warned of more rough weather to come after gales roared in from the Atlantic. Travellers by sea, air, rail and road faced delays and thousands of homes lost power as trees crashed down on lines.

Insurers said the cost of such a storm - the strongest of the winter in southern areas of the country - could run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

The West Country and South Wales bore the brunt, along with other coastal areas.

Rescuers helped a Swedish tanker with 13 crew on board which got into difficulties off the Isle of Wight as the storms whipped up the waters.

Stephen Davenport, a senior forecaster with MeteoGroup said the winds came in "on a line of squally rain".

Exposed areas saw steady winds of 45 to 50mph, severe gale force, bordering on storm force.

Highest gusts were at Berry Head, Brixham, and the Mumbles in south Wales, while a gust of 95mph was recorded at The Needles on the Isle of Wight. He said gales of 70 to 80mph were forecast later, in the South West, in a second wave.

More high winds are expected on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning across Northern Ireland, Southern Scotland, Northern England and North Wales.

The Environment Agency currently has seven severe flood warnings in force, 48 flood warnings and 53 flood watches.