GETTY•MET OFFICE Storm Katie is set to unleash hurricane-force winds on the bank holiday

Those travelling back from Easter Bank Holiday breaks have faced strong winds, flooded and gridlocked roads today as Storm Katie ripped across the country. Motorists were forced to find new routes home as the Dartford Crossing in Kent and the Severn Bridge in Wales, were closed overnight because of strong winds. South Yorkshire Police have confirmed a fatality as a car crashed into the River Don after plunging from the A1M near junction 36 and 37. The man is believed to have died after his car crashed through safety barriers and plunged 70ft into the river below. The M6 northbound between junctions 13 and 14 was closed due to parts of a whole lane flooding while water rescue teams were sent to Liskeard, east Cornwall, and a man had to be rescued from his van stuck in floodwater at Dunkeswell, east Devon.

NATIONAL A crane in Greenwich was snapped in half in the winds

PA The Met office have warned of flooding across the South, including on the M6 near Stafford

EAST NEWS Airports are facing severe disruption, like this aircraft that flipped at Clacton Aero Club, Essex

Travel by air, sea and rail was also affected by the brutal storm. The Port of Dover in Kent was shut from 8am until just before 11am today with P&O Ferries later tweeting that customers should expect delays and packed ferries for its Calais service. Several train routes have also seen cancellations today due to flooding and fallen trees on the line, including between Portsmouth and Southsea, Yeovil and Exeter and between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst. A string of delays are expected on several other lines. All high speed Condor Ferries between Poole and Guernsey, and between Guernsey and Jersey, have been cancelled on safety grounds. The Sandbanks Ferry between Studland and Poole in Dorset has also been suspended.

Meanwhile thousands of air passengers faced traumatic experiences in the early hours of this morning as aircrafts battled the strong winds. Heathrow faces more than 60 delays and about 40 flights due to land at Gatwick's north terminal this morning were affected by the gale force weather.



The planes had all been due to land at the West Sussex airport after midnight, but by 5am 16 flights had been cancelled and 24 diverted to other destinations because of the stormy weather.



Some had made aborted attempts to land at the airport, before being diverted to airports in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands. Those flying are urged to check with their airline before travelling.

Storm Katie Mon, March 28, 2016 The high winds of Storm Katie batter England and Wales and divert planes from Gatwick and cause Easter travel chaos. Play slideshow SWN•Twitter•PA 1 of 23 Storm Katie hits the UK with 105mph gales



One Twitter user wrote: "Truly thankful to be on the ground in Stansted after terrifying failed attempts to land at Gatwick in #StormKatie." Another added: "Almost blown over whilst trying to cross the bridge. And I am not of insignificant stature."



Gatwick airport tweeted: "Due to Storm Katie, there is some road disruption around Gatwick. Please leave some extra time to get to the airport if flying this morning.



"Adverse weather has led to a small no of flight cancellations this morning. Please check with your airline for the latest info."

A crane that was bent backwards at a construction site in Greenwich [PA]

Winds were so fierce an industrial crane bent in half in Greenwich, London. The road has been closed and a nearby building was evacuated while emergency services deal with the situation. Nobody was injured. In Croydon one man found scaffolding from a house extension blown on to nearby cars, while several homeowners have snapped photos of their damaged roofs and fences.

PA Police have warned of bad weather conditions on the road after a crash on the M42

Residents at a block of flats in Wimbledon, west London, woke up this morning to find the roof had been ripped off entirely by the hurricane winds. The incident was one of at least 110 the London Fire Brigade was called to this morning due to high winds. They rushed to the scene just after 6am and were still there more than three hours later. A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: "We are dealing with multiple incidents due to the weather. "We advise people to take care when travelling and to bring inside any loose items in their garden - such as furniture or anything else that could blow away."

SWNS The road was closed after the crane collapse

PA sed following strong winds in Woodley, Reading

Across the country, scaffolding has collapsed from buildings while cars have been destroyed by fallen tree trunks and branches. The Met Office has predicted almost a month’s worth of rain is due to fall over the course of the Easter weekend, with intense downpours dumping an inch in parts in a matter of hours. Gusts of 77mph had been recorded at Berry Head, Devon, while winds of 106mph have now been recorded at The Needles in the Isle of Wight.

MERCURY PRESS This car in Tonbridge, Kent, was destroyed when a tree trunk was sent crashing down

PA The Met Office has warned of damage across the country

The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for strong winds across the region, warning of severe gales powerful enough to topple trees and damage buildings. When travellers finally make it home, they will be faced with more chaos as thousands of homes are without power and 23 flood warnings are in place.



UK Power Networks say they are dealing with a high number of faults across Sussex, Surrey and Kent. Some 900 engineers from Southern Electric are working to reconnect more than 3,800 properties without supplies,. The firm said it had restored power to 40,300 homes since Sunday night, while a further 41,889 homes across Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, West Sussex, Wiltshire and the Isle of Wight remain without electricity.

PA Huge waves battering the UK coastline

We expect 50 to 60mph gusts in land and 70mph around exposed coastal regions Met Office forecaster Marco Petagna

Another alert is in place for heavy rain with intense downpours on fallen debris sparking warnings to expect floods. Meanwhile fierce gales are threatening to whip up mammoth 20ft waves. The Environment Agency has issued 23 flood warnings and 122 alerts in response to what is said were "rapidly rising" river levels in the wake of the storm. Katie swept in off the Atlantic late yesterday evening with most of England and Wales battening down the hatches for disruption throughout today.

SWNS A building and debris where Storm Katie has blown part of a roof off.

TWITTER Winds of more than 100mph have been recorded

Several sporting events have also been affected by the high winds and rain. AFC Wimbledon tweeted their match against Portsmouth had been postponed. Twitter has been filled with photos of trampolines littering the streets after being blown out of the gardens of family homes.