Storm Darragh downs trees and causes power cuts

A camper van was crushed by a tree near Central Park in Plymouth

More than 25,000 homes across Cornwall and Devon have been without power and hundreds of trees have been brought down by strong winds caused by Storm Darragh.

Emergency services have had to deal with hundreds of fallen trees across the South West which were blocking roads, as well as landslides and debris.

A red warning for wind had been issued by the Met Office which covered part of north Devon and an amber warning is in place until 21:00 GMT on Saturday, with a yellow warning covering until 06:00 on Sunday.

The winds picked up on Saturday afternoon, with gusts of 67mph (107km/h) recorded in the Isles of Scilly, 68mph (109km/h) in Bodmin and 88mph (142km/h) on Exmoor.

Hundreds of trees have blocked roads and train lines across the region

More than 20,000 properties in Devon were still without power at about 19:45 GMT, with a further 6,000 properties affected in Cornwall.

Matt Turner, from National Grid, said the wind had brought down high voltage overhead lines which were difficult to repair.

He said: "We are working at pace and through the night to get the lights on as swiftly and safely as possible."

Mr Turner advised customers to have a battery pack to ensure mobile phones remained charged during a power cut.

'Dangerous out there'

Sgt Robert Brown, from South Molton Police Station, said police were dealing with "numerous trees down across our roads, landslides and general debris".

The Tamar Bridge, which connects Devon and Cornwall, was closed to high-sided vehicles because of the strong winds.

Stuart Hughes, from Devon County Council, said it was a busy morning and night and they had faced "very challenging conditions".

"It's very dangerous out there," he said.

Great Western Railway stopped running trains between Plymouth and Penzance on Saturday morning because of track closures.

Nick Million, from Network Rail, said: "We have multiple trees down and multiple obstacles that have blown on the lines."

Newquay Airport closed because of the conditions, with flights expected to resume on Sunday.

However most flights were taking off as normal at Exeter Airport, except to and from the Channel Islands.

Falmouth Coastguard warned people to take care around "absolutely huge" waves of up to 21ft (6.5m)

Huge waves

With waves reaching 21ft (6.5m), Paddy Corcoran of Falmouth Coastguard, urged people against taking risks on the coast.

"We often see people running in and out of the surf in conditions like these," he said.

"But in these really heavy conditions we are on the limit for resources, getting a lifeguard out will take time, so please do not take any unnecessary risks."

A flood warning was issued for the upper parts of the River Tamar, as well as warnings around rivers in nearby Somerset.

Storm force winds churned up the sea at Crackington Haven and Westward Ho! to create sea foam which covered nearby roads.

Exmouth RNLI had to go out to check there was nobody onboard a drifting boat and tow it back to shore

Exmouth RNLI went out to check there was no-one on board a drifting motor boat, in sustained wind speeds of 60mph plus (58 knots).

Once the crew had confirmed there was no-one on board they decided it presented a hazard to other shipping and towed it back to shore.

A spokesman said it was a "good result in difficult conditions" and reinforced the need for all boat owners to ensure their boats were secure during storms.

Church services and Christmas markets across the region had to be called off

Events called off

In Cornwall a giant Christmas bauble decoration known for lighting up a roundabout in Truro became loose.

The red wire-frame bauble was swept from the roundabout on Morlaix Avenue and blown across the road before coming to rest on a nearby footpath.

It has been secured to a lamppost with rope until the storm passes.

Christmas events and church services across the South West have also been affected by the high winds.

Both Plymouth Christmas Market and Truro closed on Saturday for safety reasons.

Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market was also closed and morning services at the cathedral were cancelled.

An annual Christmas event involving hundreds of bikers riding between Plymouth and St Austell to raise money for a children's hospice was also called off.

Tourist attractions across Devon and Cornwall closed, including Trelissick and the Eden Project in Cornwall and RHS Rosemoor in Devon.

Some sporting fixtures were also postponed, including Plymouth Argyle's game against Oxford and Exeter Chiefs Women's match against Bristol Bears.