Storm Isha: two dead and thousands lose power as wind speeds hit 107mph

Two people have died and tens of thousands were left without power after Storm Isha wreaked havoc across the UK with gusts as high as 107mph.

- Mark Brown

Police Scotland said an 84-year-old man had died after a car in which he was a passenger crashed into a fallen tree on the A905 at Grangemouth at about 11.45pm on Sunday.

In Limavady, Northern Ireland, a man in his 60s died in a road collision involving two vans and a fallen tree at about 9.45pm on Sunday.

The wild weather led to widespread power cuts. About 24,000 households in Northern Ireland were without power yesterday afternoon, down from a peak of 53,000.

There were also power cuts affecting thousands of people in north-west England, while more than 170,000 properties in the Republic of Ireland were without power.

The entire UK had Met Office wind warnings yesterday, although the freakishly high gusts recorded overnight were not expected to return.

They included 107mph on the Tay Road Bridge at Dundee, recorded by Transport Scotland, and 99mph at Brizlee Wood, an air defence radar station in Northumberland.

The winds brought down trees across the UK, including three at the Dark Hedges, a tunnel of beech trees in County Antrim made famous by their appearance on Game of Thrones.

Late last year it was announced several of the ancient trees would be cut down as there was a risk branches could fall on visitors.