UK weather live: Met Office warnings as hundreds of flood alerts in place after Storm Henk

Wilford Lane in West Bridgford, Nottingham is closed due to heavy flooding.

The tram has closed and buses have been diverted.

A motorist was killed by a falling tree yesterday as 90mph winds battered the Isle of Wight, and homes were evacuated, after Storm Henk brought flooding and disruption.

Gloucestershire Constabulary said a man in his 50s died while driving near Kemble, and more than 200 flood warnings remained in place on Wednesday, with severe flooding at holiday parks near Tenby, south-west Wales, and Northampton.

Speaking about the motorist, a Gloucestershire Constabulary spokesman said: “Emergency services, including an air ambulance, attended the location which is between Tetbury and Cirencester.

“Despite the efforts of those at the scene a man aged in his 50s and from the Bath area died. His next of kin and the coroner have been informed.

“The road remains closed as recovery and investigation work continues and motorists are asked to find alternative routes.”

There are 271 flood warnings and 293 flood alerts across the UK today as heavy rainfall is expected to lead to further chaos.

A flood warning means flooding is expected whereas an alert means the overflowing of rivers and other bodies of water is likely.

Residents have been evacuated from their homes in Northamptonshire due to flooding caused by Storm Henk.

A flood warning is in place for the River Nene at Billing Aquadrome and this drone footage shows hundreds of holiday homes submerged in water.

While the severe warning was downgraded on Wednesday (3 January), the Environment Agency said flooding should still be expected in the area over the coming days.

Fire and rescue teams could be seen wading through flood water at the site to evacuate houseboat residents in a rubber dinghy, after a path connecting boats to the shore was submerged.

Robert Britchford, one of several residents evacuated from caravans at the site, estimated that around 2,000 people had to leave their properties on Tuesday afternoon.

The British Army’s newest Apache helicopter was blown over by strong winds as Storm Henk battered parts of southern Britain on Tuesday.

The Apache AH-64E attack helicopter, which can cost around £412million, was pictured lying on its side next to emergency workers and a fire engine on an airfield in Middle Wallop, Hampshire.

It is understood no one was injured during the incident, and that all other aircraft remained undamaged. In October, the aircraft was declared “ready for front line duty”.

The Met Office has said drier, calmer and colder weather is on its way for the weekend.

“The weather patterns are changing. Drier, calmer and also colder weather is on the way for the weekend and beyond,” the forecaster said on X.

It follows a yellow rain warning issued by the forecaster for the south of England on Thursday and Friday with the chance of power cuts and the flooding of homes.

Almost 2,400 homes are without power, according to the Energy Networks Association, which represents the UK’s power network operators.

This means 7,600 have been reconnected since the association’s last update at 7am this morning.

Since the start of the disruption caused by Storm Henk, more than 170,200 homes have had power restored, the ENA said.

The outtages were the result of debris carried by intensive winds causing significant damage to power lines, said the ENA’s Ross Easton.

A family were left terrified when Storm Henk hit the London Eye and blew off part of the roof of their pod on Tuesday 2 January.

David Nock and 11 family members, including five children aged between 11 and 15, were 400ft up the attraction when a service hatch was ripped off in high winds.

The access hatch was left dangling by metal wires as the pod on the wheel rotated its way back down.

Mr Nock and his family watched on as a maintenance crew tried to fix the broken pod and described the whole experience as “terrifying”.

The popular tourist attraction was later closed “due to adverse weather conditions”.

“The noise was quite deafening, it was a bit of a harrowing experience. The kids all found it terrifying,” Mr Nock said.

Residents in Ashford-in-the-Water, Derbyshire, were prepared for potential flooding on Wednesday 3 January as the River Wye was swollen by Storm Henk.

Water surged close to the arches of the village’s Sheepwash Bridge after the storm battered the UK with torrential rain and winds of up to 90mph.

Meanwhile, several major roads in England were closed due to flooding with rail companies also reporting disruption.

Gloucestershire Constabulary said a man in his 50s was killed by a falling tree while driving near Kemble, while a separate incident saw a woman in Orpington, southeast London, injured.