Acle High School solar panels blown through roof

A school in Norfolk has been closed after severe winds blew solar panels off the roof, with one smashing through the glass ceiling of the boys' toilets.

Several of the 100 panels being fitted to the main building at Acle High School, in Acle, were blown off by gusts overnight.

One other school remained closed due to power cuts caused by wind damage.

Trains are also being affected, with line obstructions causing delays to services from Norwich and King's Lynn.

Buses are currently replacing trains between Downham Market and Ely on the King's Lynn to London line, due to overhead wire problems near Littleport in Cambridgeshire.

River Yare

First Capital Connect said journey times on the route were being extended by up to 90 minutes.

National Express East Anglia said train journeys between Norwich and London Liverpool Street were also being delayed due to overhead wire problems outside of the county.

The Environment Agency has issued flood warnings along the River Yare between Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich, and Breydon Water and the River Waveney from Ellingham to Breydon Water.

It said flooding was expected to be limited to riverside areas along the Broads, including Burgh Castle and Reedham.

Flood alerts are also in place along the rivers Bure, Ant and Thurne and the Norfolk coast at Great Yarmouth.

Winds of 68mph (109km/h) were recorded last night on the coast at Weybourne and Sheringham, according to forecasters Weatherquest.

Tim Phillips, head teacher at Acle High, said the damage at the school would hopefully be repaired later so it could reopen on Friday.

The high winds also caused power cable damage in Castle Acre and South Acre, near Swaffham, with 113 homes still without power, according to UK Power Networks.

Electricity restored

A spokeswoman from the firm said engineers were already on site.

The power cut has caused Castle Acre Primary School to shut.

Some 450 properties in Aldborough, north Norfolk, were also without power for most of the morning and the village primary school was forced to close, but it reopened at lunchtime when electricity was restored.

In Thetford the fire service attended a tree that had fallen on to a house.

Norfolk County Council said 200 incidents on the county's roads had so far been dealt with as gales brought trees, branches and a power line down, and blew debris on to roads and pavements.

It said work on the list of problems reported on minor roads was expected to take most of the day.