Dartford's QEII bridge reopens as weather calms

The Dartford bridge has reopened after gusts of more than 60mph forced its closure on Thursday.

Motorists faced long delays when the Highways Agency closed the QEII bridge at the Dartford crossing at 1300 GMT for safety reasons.

A contraflow was put in operation and both north and south-bound traffic were crossing the river through the tunnel bores.

Motorists faced longer queues during rush hour because of reduced capacity.

The BBC Weather Centre said winds on Friday would be lighter than Thursday and they would continue to ease throughout the day.

The Dartford Crossing links the M25 across the River Thames and carries about 150,000 vehicles a day.