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Woman Crushed by Falling Tree as Storm Henk Hits with 94mph Winds

A woman was crushed by a falling tree in London as Storm Henk battered the UK with 94mph winds and heavy rain.

Firefighters had to help free the woman in Orpington before she was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

It came as residents in the capital were given an urgent ‘don’t leave your homes’ warning, with the latest named storm causing damage to property and triggering yet more travel chaos.

An amber warning for wind issued by the Met Office covered a central swathe of England, informing the public of possible travel disruption, roof damage and power cuts across southern England, the Midlands, East Anglia and Wales.

The strongest gales were recorded at the Needles Old Battery in the Isle of Wight, where wind speeds reached 94mph.

Gusts of 81mph were reached at Exeter Airport in Devon, and top winds hit 71mph at the Isle of Portland in Dorset and also at Mumbles Head in Glamorgan.

A broad yellow warning for rain was in place on Tuesday evening – leaving regions including East Midlands, East of England, London and south-east England, north-west England, south-west England and Wales braced for heavy downpours.

It stated: ‘Following recent wet weather, a further spell of rain, heavy in places, will move north-eastwards on Tuesday. 10-20 mm of rain falling fairly widely, with a few places seeing 30-40 mm, this on top of the overnight rainfall.’

In a tragic incident on Tuesday afternoon, just after 3 PM, emergency services rushed to Station Road in Orpington following reports of a woman being critically injured under a fallen tree. The London Fire Brigade, along with London Air Ambulance doctors Paramamedics from the London Ambulance service and incident officers , were quickly on the scene to rescue the trapped woman. The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, was found beneath a large tree that had unexpectedly collapsed. That had been hit by the Storm. The London Fire Brigade's rapid response team worked diligently to free her. They employed specialised equipment and techniques to safely remove the tree without causing further injury. Once extricated, the woman was found to have sustained serious head injuries. The London Air Ambulance's medical team, including doctors and critical care paramedics, provided immediate on-site medical attention before she was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Her current condition remains serious, and she is receiving ongoing care. The cause of the tree's collapse is not immediately clear. Local authorities have cordoned off the area for a thorough investigation. Residents and commuters in the vicinity of Orpington Station Road are advised to seek alternative routes as investigative and cleanup efforts continue. This incident has raised concerns among local residents about the maintenance and safety of trees in public areas. Officials have assured the public that a full investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the tree's collapse and to implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The community has rallied in support of the injured woman, with many offering messages of hope and wishes for a speedy recovery. The London Fire Brigade and London Air Ambulance have been commended for their swift and professional response to the emergency.
Emergency services rushed to Station Road in Orpington following reports of a woman being critically injured under a fallen tree (Picture: UKNIP)
Handout photo taken with permission from the social media site X, formerly Twitter, posted by @MichaelSnasdell of a fallen tree in Forest Hill, London. The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for Storm Henk, which is forecast to bring gusts of up to 80mph to parts of the UK. Issue date: Tuesday January 2, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story WEATHER Henk. Photo credit should read: Michael Snasdell/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
A fallen tree in Forest Hill, London (Picture: PA)
A tree blown over by the wind and landed on a car on Beckenham Grove, Bromley, Kent. The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for Storm Henk, which is forecast to bring gusts of up to 80mph to parts of the UK. Picture date: Tuesday January 2, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story WEATHER Henk. Photo credit should read: Kieran Cleeves Photography/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Another tree blown over by the wind and landed on a car on Beckenham Grove, Bromley (Picture: PA)
Storm Henk causes floods in Manchester City Centre. Trams and commuters make their way through a flooded Market Street Station tram stop as they head home and go shopping outside Primark as Storm Henk brings heavy rainfall across the UK. January 2 2024. See SWNS story SWNAflood.
Storm Henk causes floods in Manchester City Centre (Picture: William Lailey/SWNS)

The Energy Networks Association – which collates data from all energy providers – estimated that 38,000 customers were without power as a direct result of storm damage, as of 7pm on Tuesday.

ENA spokesman Ross Easton said: ‘Electricity network technicians have reconnected around 102,600 customers since Storm Henk damaged power lines today.

‘Intensive winds, higher than originally forecast, of more than 80mph in places have meant that repairs have been needed to electricity infrastructure and right now engineering teams are working to reconnect supplies as quickly and safely as possible.’

There were 246 flood warnings, meaning that flooding is expected, and 353 alerts for possible flooding by 7.15pm, according to the Environment Agency.

Stefan Laeger, the Environment Agency’s flood duty manager, said that the heavy rainfall means ‘significant local flooding’ on the River Nene, in the east of England, is ‘probable’ on Tuesday and tomorrow.

He said: ‘Recent and ongoing heavy rain is falling on already very wet ground and could see some riverside locations across England flood until Thursday, while surface water flooding is also possible at times during the next five days in parts of the country.

Storm Henk wrestles with landing Ryanair and easyJet planes at Bristol Airport
Storm Henk wrestles with a landing Ryanair and easyJet planes at Bristol Airport
SuttonUrgent warning 'don't leave your homes' after Storm Henk hits with 94mph winds
Disruption to travel, roof damage and possible power outages are expected in the capital (Picture: @JuliusGeezer46)

‘Environment Agency teams will be out on the ground, working to minimise the impacts of flooding where possible. We advise people to stay away from swollen rivers and urge people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move car.’

Motorists faced difficult driving conditions near Folkestone in Kent.

Drivers were also stopped from using the bridge at the Dartford Crossing heading south due to the strong winds.

National Highways apologised as it estimated some motorists could face delays of up to two hours, and diverted traffic that was being sent through a tunnel.

It advised that ‘unless you are near the front of the queue, it will take some time for you to get moving again’.

A message on the South Western Railway warned passengers that there were ‘multiple incidents affecting services across the network’ and advised customers not to travel.

Thameslink also warned passengers not to travel ‘unless absolutely necessary’ as multiple weather-related incidents across the entire network had affected all routes.

National Rail told passengers that various routes across the south west and northwest of England along with the Midlands, East Anglia and South Wales could be affected. It added that speed restrictions were being imposed which would mean possible train delays.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was called out to The Ford in Kenilworth to rescue a motorist who got stuck trying to drive through flood water.

A spokesman said: ‘Due to the speed of the flowing water we used our inflatable sled to safely rescue the car’s occupants. Please avoid the area and don’t try to drive through flood water.’

Images captured by a resident in Tooting, south-west London, also showed a tree that had been blown over by the strong winds.

In Greenwich, south-east London, a large panel of scaffolding fell from either side of a building on Creek Road due to the heavy winds.

Marketing manager Josh Hargreaves, 30, said that he and his boyfriend had watched the scaffolding ‘pretty much swaying in the wind’ before falling from the front of the building at around 3.40pm.

Then, an hour later, scaffolding fell from the back of the building as well.

Read Also: Video – Terrific Explosion As Jet Collides With Aircraft at Airport But Passengers Make ‘Miracle’ Escape

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