Storm Imogen: Car hits fallen tree in Southampton
- Published
Huge waves crashed over the sea wall in Southsea (video courtesy @PompeyPolice)
A driver crashed into a fallen tree in Southampton and hundreds of homes were left without power as Storm Imogen lashed southern England.
Winds hit 96mph at The Needles off the Isle of Wight after forecasters issued an amber "be prepared" warning.
Power was cut off at up to 200 homes in the Chichester area and about 30 in Bishops Waltham, before being restored.
More than 140 Southampton homes and 114 properties on the Isle of Wight were also affected.
The fallen tree was cleared after blocking Hill Lane in Southampton.
A resident reported hearing a loud bang at about 05:45 GMT when a tree fell in Southampton
The tree has blocked Hill Lane in Southampton after being brought down by high winds
Highways officers helped clear the tree before the morning rush hour
A resident said the tree came down at about 05:45 GMT before it was struck by a motorcyclist and then the car driver.
Emergency services said no-one was seriously injured.
The B3006 Selborne Road at the A3/A339 junction near Liss was closed after a tree hit a power line and Southsea seafront was shut because huge waves were crashing over the seawall.
The high winds also brought a wall down in the car park of Waitrose in Friary Close, Portsmouth.
Ryan Nolan, who lives in a ground floor flat which backs on to the car park, said: "It shook the whole building. It sounded like a sledgehammer had hit the building.
Fire crews in Gosport tweeted: "It's not every day you get to take a trampoline down off a conservatory roof!!"
The high winds caused a wall to collapse in Portsmouth
"It literally looks like it just snapped at bottom."
Fire crews in Gosport were called into action to take a trampoline down from the roof of a conservatory.
Ferries and train services across the county have been disrupted.
Hampshire police warned high winds would have an impact on rush hour and urged people to avoid coastal areas.
Travel disruption in Hampshire:
Ferry services from operators including Hovertravel, external, Condor, external and Brittany, external are disrupted
South West Trains said, external speed restrictions on services had been withdrawn and trains were able to run at normal speed
Southern said, external it was running a revised service on some parts of the network
Live flood warnings from the Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
View the flood map by tapping on the image below
Tap here, external for up-to-date flood information.
- Published8 February 2016
- Published9 February 2016
