Britain battered by Storm Imogen with winds close to 100mph

Winds of nearly 100mph battered Britain as Storm Imogen hit the south coast, bringing fierce gusts and torrential downpours that disrupted major transport links.

Gales and heavy rain forced road closures and delays to rail and ferry services, with airports warning that journeys may be disrupted.

The Environment Agency issued almost 300 warnings across the UK, 59 of them calling for “immediate action”, particularly in parts of south-west England and Wales, some areas of which were expecting more than 1.5in of rain on Monday.

The Met Office issued amber “be prepared” warnings for much of the south-west and a yellow “be aware” warning of strong winds throughout the day stretching from southern Wales to the Thames estuary.

Wind speeds of up to 93mph were recorded at the Needles, off the Isle of Wight in the early hours of Monday, as gales of about 40mph blew along the south coast through the night, with gusts of more than 70mph in Cornwall.

Two children, aged five and seven, were airlifted to hospital after a wall collapsed during hurricane-force winds. They suffered serious leg injuries when the stone garden wall fell on them on Monday morning in the Worcestershire village of Bretforton, near Evesham.

A father and daughter near Exeter in Devon also reportedly had a lucky escape when a 30.5-metre (100ft) tree was blown on to their car, parked outside the house, minutes before they were about to leave for school.

There was a river search for a man missing in Taunton, after Avon and Somerset police were alerted by a member of the public to reports that a man had entered the Tone, near Priory Bridge Road. Search units were later stood down and police said they were satisfied there was no one in the water.

Meanwhile, almost 5,000 homes in south-west England, Midlands and Wales were left without power due to high winds, and engineers worked through the night to restore affected services, Western Power Distribution said.

Highways England said it had shut the Severn bridge on the M48 to all vehicles and a stretch of the A35 bypass at Dorchester was closed due to flooding. Spokesman Jon Allen urged drivers to check their routes and change their journeys accordingly before setting off in the morning rush hour.

Rail services in Wales, the south-west and southern areas were disrupted due to strong winds, with speed restrictions and cancellations.

Speed restrictions at various times will be imposed on rail routes operated by Arriva Trains Wales, Great Western Railway, Southern, South West Trains, the Gatwick Express, Southeastern and Thameslink services until at least 5pm due to high winds, according to National Rail Enquiries.

Ferry services operated by Brittany Ferries and P&O were also cancelled and delayed. The Port of Dover closed for about two hours into Monday, with the authority tweeting: “Port of Dover is monitoring weather situation. Safety is primary concern and we apologise for any inconvenience to travellers.”

Gatwick airport warned flights could be delayed. “Due to air traffic restrictions due to adverse weather, some flights may be subject to delay,” a spokesman said. “Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline.”

Those watching waves in coastal areas were advised to keep a safe distance from seafronts amid warnings of 14-metre swells in the Channel. On the Isles of Scilly, waves of 13.5 metres were recorded. A 19.1-metre wave was later recorded off the coast of St Ives in Cornwall.

People across the UK have been posting pictures on social media of felled trees, downed scaffolding and damaged homes. The Forestry Commission said it had closed a number of forests due to dangers from strong winds.

Storm Imogen is expected to track eastwards across the UK throughout Monday, bringing gusts of up to 70mph in the south and 60mph in the middle of the country. Winds are expected to gradually ease through the afternoon and evening.