Strong Winds Wreak Damage

By John Stratford, 5th January 2012, 11:22

Drivers and rail commuters have faced problems after very strong winds battered the UK overnight on Wednesday 4 January 2012.

Gusts of nearly 100mph were recorded in some parts of the country.  The Met Office say gusts of 56mph were recorded in Bedford.

The winds caused several trees to fall onto roads.  Through the morning of Thursday 5 January, there were many reports of this happening in the Hemel Hempstead area of Hertfordshire, as well as in Offley, Herts and at Great Houghton and Guilsborough, Northants.

Queues also developed at Morrisons in Wellingborough, Northants, when a tree fell onto the road near the supermarket entrance.

Woman and 10 year old injured

A woman and a 10 year old boy were taken to hospital after a tree crashed onto their car at Shenley, Hertfordshire (pictures right and below).

It happened outside Shenley Primary School at 7.50am on Thursday 5 January 2012.  The East of England Ambulance Service say the pair were out of their red Vauxhall Vectra when they got there, and had only suffered minor injuries.

They were however still taken to hospital in Barnet for treatment.

Public transport problems

The strong winds also caused problems on public transport.  For a time during the morning rush, a fallen tree at How Wood blocked the rail line linking Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey.  A fallen tree at Huntingdon caused delays for commuters using the East Coast Main Line.

Hertfordshire's Fire Service say they were called just after 1.30am on Thursday 5 January to reports of an office block roof being blown off in the wind in Hatfield.  Crews spent around an hour making the building secure at the Isuzu Trucks site on the Great North Road.

Several fire services say they were called to reports of trees falling onto roads, but they're reminding members of the public they are unable to deal with those kind of incidents unless someone's life is at risk.  Those kind of calls should be passed on to local councils.