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  Terrified people rescued from storm floods as 140mph winds leave two dead and 120,000 without power: Worst yet to come with 10pm tidal surge expected to swamp east coast

  • More than 240 Environment Agency flood alerts in place in England and Wales, with most in East Anglia
    
  • Gusts of 140mph in parts of Aberdeenshire and Inverness-shire as ALL trains in Scotland are cancelled
    
  • Environment Secretary Owen Paterson will chair emergency Cobra meeting today on storm disruption
  • Police Scotland advise motorists not to drive in the south, west, central belt and south Perthshire
  • Storm will create the biggest waves in living memory off north-east over next few days, peaking on Saturday
  • Public should expect 36 hours of disruption, Norfolk Police warns as Great Yarmouth homes are evacuated
  • Evacuations planned in Essex and Suffolk as people are seen being rescued in North Wales and Merseyside
  
  

By MARK DUELL and SAM WEBB

PUBLISHED: 21:00 GMT, 4 December 2013 | UPDATED: 10:18 GMT, 5 December 2013

The most serious coastal tidal surge for 60 years was predicted today as 114mph winds battered Britain, 20,000 homes were left without power and meteorologists warned lives were at risk.

Forecasters fear the worst is yet to come during tonight’s high tide at around 10pm as the strong winds and high volumes of water combine to form a ‘tidal surge’ towards the north east coast.

In some places, sea levels could be as high as those during the floods of 1953 that left 307 dead.

The homes without power and 114mph winds were seen in Scotland - as all trains were cancelled and police warned motorists to avoid travelling in the south, west, central belt and south Perthshire.

The Environment Agency has issued 18 flood alerts for East Anglia, warning of danger to life. Residents in areas such as West Mersea in Essex, and Southwold in Suffolk are likely to be affected.

More than 180 flood alerts were in place across England and Wales, with 3,000 homes expected to suffer from flooding in the next 24 hours. The EA is discussing evacuation in ‘key areas’ with police.

There was also disruption this morning on rail routes in northern England. Areas most at risk of flooding include the North Sea coast from Northumberland down to the Thames Estuary and Kent.

The EA issued a severe flood warning - the highest category, regarding danger to life - to businesses and homes near The Quay in Sandwich, Kent, for high tides between 12.45am and 1pm tomorrow.

The tidal reaches of the River Trent, Nottinghamshire, could also be affected today. On the west coast, severe gales, large waves and high water levels are expected from Cumbria down to Cheshire.

Flood defences built since 1953 mean many parts of Britain are much better protected. The Thames Barrier was closed last night, and other defences have been activated at Colne in Essex and in Hull.

FULL STORY: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2518340/UK-weather-114mph-w...