Thousands of homes have been left without power and commuters hit by road and rail chaos as Storm Imogen batters the South with gale force winds and torrential rain.
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It said that more than 5,000 homes in southwest England, south and mid-Wales and the Midlands had power failure.
Colleagues joined the hunt for Mike Reid, 54, who went to the aid of around 30 gannets stranded on rocks near Penzance, but has not been seen since.
Several buildings were damaged – including a bank that had its roof ripped off – and rescuers said two children suffered serious leg injuries when a stone wall collapsed on them in a central England village.
The incident came less than two weeks after the local authority inspected the wall and found no immediate danger to the public.
And Catherine Ford Lane between Fovant and Dinton is blocked by three fallen trees.
In Exeter, Devon, a father and daughter had a lucky escape when a 30m (100ft) tree fell on to their vehicle outside their house, just minutes before they were due to leave for school.
Conditions out at sea reached “phenomenal” states, with waves topping 16m (52ft 6in) and a monster of 19.1m (63ft) recorded off St Ives.
This morning, 93mph winds were recorded at The Needles off the Isle of Wight, with gusts of over 70mph in Cornwall.
Train services are interrupted, some cross-Channel ferries cancelled and motorists are encouraged to take additional attention.
‘It is really going to be into (this) morning that places have lighter winds, ‘ she said.
Overtopping and onshore flooding may occur as a result of sea spray, where strong winds blow water from the crests of waves onshore.
Coastguards issued a warning after schoolchildren were pictured standing on a beach at Hill Head, near Southampton, Hampshire as the storm hit.
A number of flood warnings also remain in place on Tuesday.
There were major traffic jams after the A282 Dartford Crossing, east of London, was closed southbound due to strong winds, while the A1 in Bedfordshire was closed northbound between the A603 and the A421 because of an overturned lorry.
Cannon Street was experiencing some of the heaviest overcrowding after trains were disrupted when part of the roof at London Bridge became loose in the high winds.
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Storm Imogen arrived in England late last night, with gusts of almost 100mph.
