Yellow warning for wind and rain by the Met Office remains in place along the south coast
Amber severe weather warning lifted across the region
Storm Ciarán was declared a major incident in Hampshire, with schools advised to close on Thursday
'Mini tornado' sweeps through Dorset village damaging properties
Wind gusts of 70mph recorded at The Needles, with 90mph possible in exposed locations
Portland flood alert sirens sound as residents prepare for flooding
Christchurch Harbour has seen flooding on the green
Image source, Tom KitcherThis tree came crashing down in Grebe Close, Milford on Sea
Image source, Naomi WalkerResidents woke up to flooding in Fordingbridge in the New Forest
Marwell Zoo is among the parks and attractions that will be closed to the public in the south of England on Thursday following severe weather warnings.
The zoo said: "Due to the predicted high wind speeds and adverse weather from Storm Ciaran, Marwell Zoo will be closed to all guests on Thursday 2 November as a precautionary measure."
It said anyone with pre-booked tickets for Thursday would be contacted and offered an alternative date.
The attraction said it hoped to open as usual on Friday but urged visitors to check its website or social media, external before heading to the zoo.
Image source, Marwell ZooHumboldt penguin
Waves at Milford on Sea
The BBC's Tristan Pascoe has sent this clip from Milford on Sea in Hampshire, showing the sea conditions at the beach there, as of 07:30 GMT.
Emily Hudson
BBC News
Quote MessageThe debris is clear to see from last night's low tide but right now the dog walkers and joggers are out on the edge of Christchurch Harbour enjoying a brief respite from the rain.
Quote MessageThe eye of the storm is passing south of the coast and the air is eerily still. Here most schools remain open but flooding of some of the smaller routes might affect travel for some. BCP council has closed Boscombe and Bournemouth piers and asked people not to go near the coast.
Christchurch Harbour
As the storm moves in on the Hampshire coast New Forest District Council has urged people to stay away from the New Forest coast and beaches.
Barriers are in place and the authority said beach toilets had been closed and locked.
Forestry England has also urged people not to visit the forest today.
The agency said: "Stormy weather makes it dangerous to walk under trees and there is a risk of trees blowing over in the strong winds".
Milford on Sea
There are variety of road closures across Hampshire due to fallen trees or localised flooding.
The A35 slip road which links to the Totton Bypass to the A326 is currently shut.
Lymington Bridge Road in the New Forest is also closed for what Hampshire County Council calls "flood prevention measures".
Northgate Lane in Elisfield, Paradise Lane in Woodlands and the A32 Gosport Road at Newton Valence are all still closed.
The A338 north of Ringwood was closed due to fallen tree which hit power lines but that reopened around 04.30GMT and Poles Lane in Otterbourne was reopened at 01.00GMT after work was completed to remove another fallen tree.
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There have been road closures in Southampton due to some localised flooding.
Weston Parade is shut, as is Bridge Road between the junctions of Oakbank and Radstock Roads.
Thomas Lewis Way was shut between St Denys' Road and Horseshoe Bridge but has now reopened - although there are still reports of surface water, so caution is advised.
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Storm Ciarán is currently centred to the south of Hampshire and Dorset, and tracking eastwards.
The top five strongest wind gusts recorded so far are:
The French coast saw winds of up to 110mph in western Brittany overnight.
Image source, BBC WeatherStorm Ciarán
The predicted high winds along the south coast have led to the closure of the Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley Abbey, Hampshire.
The 200-acre (80-hectare) park by Southampton Water, including the car parks, chapel, shop, cafe, play areas and toilets will be shut throughout Thursday.
Posting on Facebook, external, the park said: "For your safety, please refrain from visiting while the Amber storm warning is in place."
Image source, Royal Victoria Country ParkRoyal Victoria Country Park will remain closed throughout Thursday
Many schools across Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are closed due to the predicted high winds throughout the day.
About 51 schools in Southampton, four on the Isle of Wight and 10 in Dorset are closed due to the expected dangerous conditions for pupils and staff.
Hampshire County Council, external, Dorset Council, external and Isle of Wight Council, external have published lists of the closures.
Schools are expected to reopen on Friday.
Image source, Getty ImagesPowerful winds and rain are expected to move in across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight this morning.
The Met Office has warned of travel disruption and damage to buildings, prompting the declaration of a major incident in Hampshire with schools advised to close.
Wind gusts are likely to reach 70-80mph (113-129 km/h) in some coastal areas.
Across the south coast, an amber warning for wind runs from 06:00 - 17:00.
Image source, NFDCPeople are being urged to avoid coastal areas
Southampton's Itchen Bridge shut on Wednesday evening ahead of the arrival of Storm Ciarán.
The city council said the toll bridge, linking Woolston to the city centre, would stay closed until the weather significantly subsided.
Buses that would normally cross the bridge will be redirected.
Passengers are being urged to check their bus operators' website before setting out.
Image source, Southampton City CouncilThe bridge will stay closed until storm Ciarán has passed
Simon King
BBC weather presenter and meteorologist
Storm Ciarán is being driven by a very powerful jet stream - winds high in the atmosphere - with speeds of about 200mph (320km/h).
A jet stream this powerful contains a lot of energy for low pressure systems to develop.
This low pressure system could indeed be one of the deepest areas of low pressure recorded in November in the UK, close to the current record of 948.4hPa in 1954.
You can stay across the forecast and warnings on our BBC Weather website.
Image source, Met Officethe Met Office Amber warnings for wind issued for Thursday.
Good morning, you join us on a particularly wet and windy Thursday as Storm Ciarán moves in across the south.
Amber severe weather warnings for wind, issued by the Met Office, are in place until this evening.
Dangerous conditions and flooding are expected.
Wind strengths have the potential to bring damage to trees and power lines, with transport disruption likely.