As the increasingly ferocious winds hit the country, fallen trees, falling debris and power lines have caused roads to be closed and left hundreds of homes without power.  

The strong gusts have also caused a section of the M4 at the Briton Ferry Bridge in Wales to be flooded in both directions and seen gusts of around 70mph recorded at South Uist in Scotland. 

As the severe gales continue to gather strength, two crashes have already been reported on the M4 this afternoon and highway officials have had to shut down a five-mile stretch of the A465 due to a burst river bank at Hirwaun, South Wales.

In Ireland, drivers were left tackling the deteriorating weather conditions as snow and sleet hit the N7 in Dublin and caused severe travel disruptions.

As Britain braces itself for the severe weather, partial road blocks were also seen in Cornwall and Devon after trees and power lines fell into the road.

Land’s End in Cornwall also shook to gusts of nearly 70mph as the storm whipped in from the Atlantic as darkness fell. 

At one point, police in the Duchy of Cornwall took six wind-related emergency calls in the space of 15 minutes. 

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A person carries their shopping bag through snowy conditions in Rathcoole, Dublin, as Storm Freya sweeps over the nation

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Road users try to tackle the severe weather conditions in Rathcoole, Dublin, as winds of up to 80mph sweep over the country

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A person travelling through the A465 in Wales shows the heavily flooded roads caused by Storm Freya as the ferocious winds continue to sweep across the UK

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The severe weather led to a car crashing on the M4 between Bridgend and Pencoed. South West Police later released the picture and wrote: ‘Please slow down in wet conditions. There is more rain on the way this afternoon.’

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Storm Freya hits the south coast of the UK today at the 35 metre-high Longships Lighthouse at Land’s End, Cornwall. Gigantic waves as the wind whips up the sea towards shore

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Waves smash against the North West coast at Blackpool with Storm Freya set to hit later this afternoon as Met Office issues weather warnings

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Fierce waves crash against the harbour wall at Porthcawl, Wales, as Storm Freya brings strong winds of up to 80mph to the UK 

Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith tweeted ‘The storm has arrived in Cornwall! Going to be very windy for next few hours

‘Six emergency calls in last 15 minutes regarding trees and power cables down! To the locals – best stay indoors and have a cup of tea.

‘Emergency services going to be very busy for the next few hours.’  

The worsening conditions, which will see winds of up to 80mph hit the nation, are expected to continue causing travel disruptions to England and Wales today.    

In Derby, a fallen tree outside a YMCA centre has left those trying to travel into the city centre having to find alternative routes. 

Earlier today, spectators braced the strong winds and were swamped by a big wave as they tried to capture Storm Freya on their mobile phones at Newquay, Cornwall. 

The storm also saw fierce waves crash against the harbour wall at Porthcawl in Wales.

Forecasters have predicted the storm will be severe enough to risk injuries and danger to life from flying debris and large waves, and there could also be damage to buildings and trees, with road hazards and power cuts possible.

The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning, which runs from 3pm on Sunday to 6am on Monday, and predicted possible blizzards in the Peak District.

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At least 2,000 schools across the country serving 800,000-plus children were shut after ‘doomsday’ snow caused chaos with some areas getting up to ten inches overnight on the coldest night in the UK for seven years.   

Drivers were told to avoid the M3 at all costs as the motorway became ‘impassable’ at points. Basingstoke residents were left stranded on the motorway for hours, with some drivers having to abandon their cars and walk home after three HGV lorries jackknifed in the middle of the road. 

Junctions 6 and 7 southbound were closed with traffic at a complete standstill – but Highways England said that one lane has now been reopened. It tweeted: ‘M3 J6 – J7 westbound Basingstoke, 1 lane is now open but we still have work on-going to get extra lanes open. Long delays from J4 Farnborough.’

Parent Craig Heywood, 29, has been stuck at Junction 6 since 3.30pm this morning trying to pick his son up from nursery.

The father said nursery staff have had to stay late to look after two-year-old Harrison, who’s been worrying why his father still hasn’t arrived.

Mr Heywood, who works at Harwoods Jaguar Land Rover Dealership, said: ‘I left work early today at 3.30pm to make sure I would get to my son’s nursery on time. My work is only 15 minutes from the nursery too.

‘I’ve been stuck here for five hours. I took some bottles of water from work just in case, so I’ve been handing them out to other drivers. As a nation, we’re just not prepared for this weather. Every year it’s the same. I just hope my son’s alright.’ 

Panicked motorist Samantha Smith missed her 7.30pm flight to Cairo after becoming trapped near Heathrow. She tweeted at British Airways: ‘Do you answer your phones? Stuck in snow on M3 how do we let you know we won’t make check in?’ 

Jo Roberts said the motorway was an ‘absolute nightmare’ southbound from Basingstoke with ‘snow on top of black ice’. She said: ‘It’s not been gritted. My partner hasn’t moved for 2 hours. Hope it gets moving soon.’

Jo Roberts said the motorway was an ‘absolute nightmare’ southbound from Basingstoke with ‘snow on top of black ice’. She said: ‘It’s not been gritted. My partner hasn’t moved for 2 hours. Hope it gets moving soon.

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The Met Office has issued an amber warning that carries a potential risk to life as heavy snowfall hit southern England and Wales this evening, with the first sprinkling of snow falling in London.

Transport for London and Network Rail had warned passengers to get home by 9pm as motorists faced potentially deadly conditions this evening, with around 200 motorists stuck on the A30 near Temple, Cornwall.

One stranded driver on the snow covered road has described the conditions as like ‘doomsday.’

Dominic Burton, 26, from Barnstaple, said: ‘I have heard Exeter is clear – it’s like doomsday here, like a zombie movie! I have 60 miles to do and we are only moving at around 20mph.

‘I have just passed around 200 cars trying to go southbound on the A30.’ 

Concerned relatives urged authorities to move faster to clear the roads as darkness fell as elderly drivers, mothers with young children and passengers with medical conditions were stranded from 2.30pm without food or water. 

An ‘intensive effort’ is under way to help stranded motorists, said Chief Inspector Adrian Leisk, head of roads policing across Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.

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