Storm Callum batters South West
Many roads blocked by fallen trees
Flights, trains and ferries cancelled and delayed
Police urge drivers to 'slow down and increase braking distances'
Exmouth seafront flooded ahead of £12m defence scheme
Wave-watcher warning as Storm Callum batters coastal towns
Updates on Friday 12 October 2018
Storm Callum: Flooding on the A39 near Truro
Drivers are being warned to expect the unexpected on roads across the South West.
Storm Callum is battering the region with strong winds and heavy rain causing difficult driving conditions.
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Some of the highest winds from Storm Callum so far have been recorded on the Isles of Scilly, where gusts of up to 76mph were noted.
Dale Clarke, St Mary's harbour master, confirmed it had been "very rough indeed".
Quote Message"There’s been a big swell and big seas forecast as the day goes on, with wave heights predicted of over 23ft (7m) today. There’s been a lot of preparations as the storm has been forecast pretty well over the past week or so. People have been getting their boats out of the water and into areas of shelter."
Dale Clarke, St Mary's harbour master
That's the warning to drivers as Storm Callum gives Devon and Cornwall "quite a hammering".
Hugh Griffith, at Devon control room, said he was getting numerous reports of minor roads disrupted by flooding, fallen trees and branches in Tavistock and areas west of Dartmoor.
Road repair and pothole patching teams had been pulled away from their everyday tasks to help with storm clearance, he added.
Mr Griffith said he was not expecting the situation to ease any time soon as the storm was going to continue throughout the day and gusts of up to 60mph were forecast.
Quote MessageExpect the unexpected - take great care because when you come around a corner you do not know what you will find."
Huw Griffith
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Near St Columb Major, there are reports of a tree down just off the A39, on the road out to Tregatillian.
Kevin Thomas
BBC Weather Forecaster
Storm Callum was still cutting an impressive image across the UK and the Atlantic Ocean at 10:20, as you can see from this satellite image.
Some of the heavy rain will be moving away for a time, leaving many places cloudy, but with further outbreaks of lighter rain or drizzle.
However, the heavier stuff will be returning towards the north coast later, with strong to gale-force south to southwesterly winds.
Gusts of between 50 and 60mph around the coast and over hills are forecast.
The Environment Agency has also warned that, with the strong winds and heavy rain forecast, people should "take extra care near the coast" and "not drive through flood water".
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Ben Woolvin
BBC South West
High winds from Storm Callum are confusing this seagull at Bayard's Cove in Dartmouth.
Seagull
Wind speeds of up to 65mph are being forecast in the area.
Flood warnings , externalhave been issued at nearby Beesands, Torcross and Dawlish by the Environment Agency.
Andrew Segal
BBC South West
Image source, Alan NielsonA school bus driver has described a "very close call indeed" when a tree fell in front of his vehicle as a result of Storm Callum.
Alan Nielson, from Wheal Briton Travel, said he was driving a 57-seater school coach when the tree fell in front of his vehicle near St Agnes
Alan said that it was "all ok" and there was "more excitement than anything else".
"Everybody made it safely to school," he added.
Chris Ellis
BBC News Online
Flooding, heavy rain and high winds are causing difficult driving conditions across the South West.
Motorists are urged not to pass through deep water.
Elsewhere, police have urged drivers to "slow down and increase braking distances".
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Andrew Segal
BBC South West
One boat owner may have to go further inshore to find their vessel in St Mawes after Storm Callum made its presence known.
The K9 Capers Co shared this picture of it by the the roadside.
Image source, The K9 Capers CoTrain services have been disrupted due to Storm Callum, external and people have been urged to stay away from seafronts due to the large waves.
More than 600 properties across Devon are without power as a result of Storm Callum.
Affected areas include Ivybridge, Plymouth and Hatherleigh, which between them alone have about 400 homes with no power.
Other problems have included road and rail lines being blocked or partially blocked by fallen trees, and flights being cancelled.
There are very strong winds around parts of the county and there are flood warnings in place - meaning flooding is expected and action should be taken - at Beesands, Torcross, Slapton and Dawlish, as well as the Kingsbridge estuary.
In addition, there are 14 flood alerts in force, the Environment Agency says, external.
Richard Green
BBC Radio Devon
Storm Callum is causing dangerous seafront weather along the south Devon coast.
Towns including Teignmouth (pictured top) and Dawlish (bottom) have seen some overtopping of sea walls.
Police have warned people not to approach potentially dangerous coastlines to take photographs.
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At Quintrell Downs, there's slow traffic due to fallen power cables on the A392 East Road in both directions around A3058 North Way.
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Storm Callum is causing severe disruption across Devon and Cornwall with many roads blocked by fallen trees, and big problems for planes, trains and the Torpoint Ferrry.
Dan Mountain, from Devon and Cornwall Police, said all drivers should exercise caution...
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