Insurers on standby as windstorm lashes southern England

A severe windstorm is continuing to batter southern England, causing damage and widespread disruption to power and travel.

Winds are gusting over 80 miles per hour (mph) in some areas, and the Met Office reported that a gust of 99mph was recorded at Needles Old Battery, Isle of Wight at 6am.

The south-west of England has been the most affected area so far, the BBC reports.

Developments so far include:

•         About 40,000 homes are without power.
•         The Environment Agency has issued 17 flood warnings in south-west England alone and there are 152 flood alerts across England and Wales.
•         130 flights have been cancelled at Heathrow.
•         Several train operators have announced they will not start their services until 10am. These include South West Trains, East Coast and First Great Western.
•         Other train operators have delayed the start of their services until 9am, including Virgin West Coast Mainline, First Capital Connect, C2C and London Overground.