SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Four dead as storm devastates UK

St Jude has left a trail of destruction across southern Britain, with five people dying in the storm and travellers suffering transport chaos.

UK_storm1_aap_131028.jpg
(AAP)

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

Four people, including a 17-year-old girl, have died after hurricane-force conditions battered Britain.

Hundreds of thousands of homes have also been left without power and travellers have suffered transport chaos.

The bodies of two people were found in west London after a falling tree led to a suspected gas explosion.

A 51-year-old man died as he drove through Watford in southeast England, and 17-year-old Bethany Freeman was killed as she slept in a static caravan.

Bethany was crushed as a nine-metre tree fell on the caravans she and her family were living in while renovation work was taking place at their home in Kent.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

The amber warning was lifted as the heart of the storm blew over the North Sea to continental Europe, leaving a trail of destruction and disruption behind it.

Winds of up to 160km/h had swept through much of southern England, first hitting land in the early hours of Monday morning.

The storm, dubbed St Jude after the patron of lost causes, caused traffic problems on road, rail, air and sea.

Many train services were cancelled and some were still struggling to return to normal late in the afternoon.

Some 300,000 homes suffered power cuts.

Experts say that, while the gales had been relatively weak compared with the Great Storm of 1987, it shows how much weather predictions have improved compared with 26 years ago.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world