15 October 2012 Last updated at 17:17

In pictures: Great Storm of 1987 in South East England

Elderly woman walking under fallen tree in Canterbury

Twenty-five years ago the Great Storm wrought havoc over large swathes of the South East.

Uprooted trees crashed onto houses in Old Tovil Road in Maidstone, Kent after a hurricane hit Britain.

Trees were blown across roads and into houses, like these in Maidstone, Kent, and 18 people were killed across the country.

A cyclist views the huge hole left by an uprooted tree on Mote Road, Maidstone, Kent.

The storm has been listed as the most expensive weather-related event in the British insurance industry’s history.

Woodland surrounding country houses, for example, Emmetts Garden, in Kent, were badly hit.

However, after 25 years much of it has grown back with new trees taking the place of the old ones.

Sea services were severely disrupted in the South East with one ferry being grounded off Folkestone, with winds reaching speeds of 115mph.

John Cope, an electricity company worker, from Sittingbourne, Kent, said: “After the storm we spent the next three and a half weeks working 18-hour days to rebuild the network."

He added: "I would be told to go home at 23:30 only to be back at work by 06:00 the next morning.”

Michael Fish's infamous weather forecast of October 15th 1987, in which he said 'Earlier on today apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way. Well don't worry if you're watching, there isn't.'

People were told not to worry about the storm in a notorious weather forecast by BBC weatherman Michael Fish. He said: "Earlier on today apparently a lady rang the BBC and said she heard that there was a hurricane on the way. Well don't worry if you're watching, there isn't."

England

In pictures: Great Storm of 1987 in South East England

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