The way that we've been alerted to this in the last few days you'd think an invasion was coming, rather a bit of rain. Atleast the gov is attempting to look like they are prepared, I suppose.Rain and fierce winds are hitting parts of the UK, as what could be winter's worst storm moves in from the Atlantic.
Emergency services said winds of almost 80 mph (130km/h) had brought down trees and power lines in south-west England, where several roads are now blocked.
Severe flood warnings have been issued for the Devon and Cornwall coast. Near Newport, south Wales, 170 people had to evacuate a caravan park overnight.
Meanwhile, forecasters say central Scotland could see blizzards.
Flood warnings
The Environment Agency is urging people to stay away from exposed coastal areas and to check for flood warnings in their area.
By 0445 GMT on Monday there were seven severe flood warnings in place in Devon and Cornwall and 44 other warnings in locations including southern England, and the Severn and Mersey estuaries.
High winds have left 4,000 homes in south-west England and some 3,000 in Wales without power.
Standby supplies of sandbags are on hand and extra police have been called in to work.
Falmouth coastguards have been out with loud hailers along the coast, warning people to stay away from the coast and to beware of potential flooding.
Residents in Mylor and Flushing, near Falmouth, are protecting their homes with sandbags as flood waters start to rise, reaching car wheel arch level by 0630 GMT. In Penryn, water has reached the top of the quay.
The storm, which forecasters have been predicting for several days, has already left considerable damage and disruption in its wake, according to reports.
In Devon, winds have torn off a garage roof in Torquay, and a power line near Slapton was reported to have been brought down.
The Tamar Bridge has been closed to high-sided vehicles as winds in the Plymouth area reached speeds of 76mph.
The highest wind speed recorded so far was 82mph in Berry Head in Brixham, south Devon, while the Needles off the coast of the Isle of Wight experienced gusts of 70mph.
In Cornwall, the A390 at Callington, A374 at Polbathic and A395 at Kennards House are blocked because of falling trees.
Some 118 homes are without power in Wadebridge after a falling tree brought down a power line. Western Power estimates they will be reconnected later this morning.
There was a brief power cut in Porthleven overnight, caused by cables arcing.
Dorset police also received reports of a fallen telegraph pole and trees.
Forecasters said the storm may have reached its peak in the South West but further damaging gusts were expected along the coast on Monday evening.
On Sunday night, police in south Wales advised about 170 people to evacuate Lighthouse Park Caravan Site, in St Brides, over fears of flooding and structural damage.
In nearby Gold Cliff and Redwick, residents in coastal homes were also advised to evacuate.
A handful of locals spent the night at Newport Leisure Centre which the city council set up as an evacuation rest centre.
Houses in west Wales are reported to have had their roofs blown off overnight.
The storm is expected to cause travel disruption in other parts of the UK, with winds already reaching 42mph at Heathrow.
Winds of 63mph have hit the east coast of Northern Ireland. with 49mph winds in Crosby, Merseyside, and 46mph in Birmingham.
British Airways cancelled several short-haul and domestic flights from Heathrow Airport on Sunday night, and both Heathrow and Gatwick advised travellers to check with airlines before leaving home.
P&O Ferries cancelled a Sunday sailing from Portsmouth to Bilbao, and another from Bilbao to Portsmouth on 11 March.
Channel crossings between the south coast and France have also been cancelled.
The RAC is advising drivers to be prepared for hazardous driving conditions over the next few days. The Met Office warns rail delays are likely, with the worst weather expected to strike on Monday afternoon. Some rail services have already been cancelled.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and senior government officials held talks on Sunday about the threat from the storm and checked local authorities were prepared for floods.
Environment Agency director of operations Paul Leinster said there would be "a potent cocktail of strong winds, wave action and high tides" until Wednesday.
He said gale force winds were expected to combine with spring high tides to raise water levels along the coast by up to 1.5m over normal levels and warned people to stay away from the coast.
Ah well, good luck to those who get hit... Certainly its picking up here on the south coast of Devon.
