Fallen trees close Shropshire roads as high winds batter county
Fallen trees today closed roads in Shropshire and disrupted rail services as gusts of up to 67mph hit the county.
One couple had a lucky escape when a tree fell on their car in Great Ryton near Shrewsbury. There were also reports of trees down in Shifnal, Oswestry, Minsterley and Hadnall.
Drivers on the A488 in Hope, near Shrewsbury, were caught up in delays this morning after a tree hanging dangerously over the road forced police to close it.
The tree was blown down into electricity cables by winds from Storm Henry. Police officers and Shropshire Council contractors were called to the road along with Western Power at about 10am.
The tree was pulling on electricity cables and the road was closed until the area could be made safe.
The Met Office this afternoon recorded a 67mph gusts in Shropshire as police warned drivers and householders to take care.
A tree also came down in Haughton Lane in Shifnal, where police tweeted:
In Great Ryton, near Shrewsbury, a tree came down on top of a car but the occupants escaped uhurt.
And a tree came down in the road in Hadnall, near Shrewsbury.
High winds also brought a tree down on the railway line near Baschurch today. Passengers using the Shrewsbury to Chester rail line were forced to use replacement buses through the day, adding up to an hour on to their journeys.
The tree was blown down mid morning at Storm Henry blew across Shropshire.
Arriva Train Wales said passengers faced distruption throughout the day.
A spokesman for Arriva Train Wales said that workers from Network Rail were on scene from lunchtime to remove the fallen tree. She said it was hoped that services could be restored by 4pm.
"In the meantime we are shuttling passengers by bus between Shrewsbury, Gobowen, Chirk, Ruabon and Chester. We apologise for the inconvenience," he said.
Trains between Shrewsbury and Wrexham were also being delayed by 40 minutes after a tree fell near Oswestry.
It came as winds of more than 60mph were today expected to hit Shropshire and Mid Wales. Forecasters said showers would be accompanied by strong and gusty winds, which were expected to peak around noon.
The Met Office issued a yellow warning of wind and said structural damage is possible.
Elsewhere, the north of the UK is to get yet another hammering when Storm Henry sweeps in today, bringing treacherous conditions and high winds of up to 90mph.
Some train services in Scotland have already been suspended for this afternoon, leading to a potentially difficult evening commute for some, and ferry passengers have been warned to expect widespread disruption.
The latest trouble comes just after the country saw off Storm Gertrude, which brought gusts of more than 100mph in places as well as heavy rain and snow.
The Met Office has issued amber "be prepared" alerts for wind covering Scotland from 3pm on Monday until Tuesday morning.
Gusts of 70-80mph are now expected widely, while 90mph is possible in the most exposed areas, especially across the Western Isles and along the west coast.
Warnings for wind at the lesser yellow "be aware" level are also in place for the whole of the northern UK and Northern Ireland from Monday morning. And yellow alerts have been issued for rain in northern and central areas of Scotland.
