A driver was killed when a tree fell on his car during Storm Ciara, police revealed on Monday, as forecasters warned of still more hazardous weather ahead.

The government has made available emergency financial aid for areas wrecked by the weather with Robert Jenrick, the local government secretary, saying: “I have activated the emergency Bellwin scheme to support communities affected by Storm Ciara in West Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire.”

Under the Bellwin scheme, councils dealing with the effects of the storm can apply to have some of their costs, such as temporary accommodation and staff overtime, reimbursed by the government.

Storm Ciara left thousands without power as it smashed into the UK on Sunday, while homes were evacuated and buildings were damaged. It brought 97mph gusts to the Needles in the Isle of Wight and rainfall levels of 178mm were recorded at Honister Pass in Cumbria – and on Monday continuing tough conditions hampered the recovery effort.

Also on Monday, ministers were criticised for the government’s lack of flood preparedness. Tory MP Philip Davies branded it “completely unacceptable” that people hit by Storm Ciara had also been victims of previous floods.

Storm Ciara batters UK Show all 75 1 /75 Storm Ciara batters UK Storm Ciara batters UK A Toyota car in a sinkhole which appeared overnight in Hatch Road, Brentwood, in the aftermath of Storm Ciara PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse Dozens of domestic and international flights have been cancelled as Storm Ciara is set to batter the UK and Ireland with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles per hour AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Large waves and sea spray caused by Storm Ciara hit vehicles being driven along the seafront in Newhaven Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A flooded street is seen after Storm Ciara downpour in Hebden Bridge The Afghan Rug Shop via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Firefighters rescuing a person from a car in a flooded street in Blackpool South Shore Fire Station/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A sign nearly submerged on the coast in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Newly constructed flood defenses on the River Calder by Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire AFP/Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooding on the coast in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Storm Ciara has also hit areas across Europe. Rescuers work on the A2 motorway in Marly, northern France, after a truck was tipped over in the early morning AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Newhaven in East Sussex, as Storm Ciara hits the UK PA Storm Ciara batters UK A man looks at debris and damage at his home in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flood water rushes down a street past houses in Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flood water surrounds cars parked outside a flooded Co-Op shop in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK People enjoy leaning into the wind as Storm Ciara arrives in West Bay Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Workmen clear up after tree fell on speed camera and damaged it on The Meadway in Tilehurst, Reading PA Storm Ciara batters UK Part of Bridge House Guest House and Sonia's Bistro in Hawick collapsing into the fast-flowing River Teviot as Storm Ciara battered Scotland with high winds and heavy rain Ryan McGee/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Damage to Bridge House Guest House and Sonia's Bistro Rob Tait/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A flooded car in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against the harbour wall in Porthcawl Getty Storm Ciara batters UK A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane ahead of Sheffield United's Premier League game against Bournemouth PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree in the Longlevens area of Gloucester Rod Minchin/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane PA Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed bursts its banks in the Scottish Border Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Cars make their way through floodwaters as Storm Ciara hits in Accrington EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Poor weather conditions at Bramall Lane Action Images via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK People walk along the debris-covered promenade after waves broke across it at hight tide, in Blackpool AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK A trampoline on the railwayline between Sevenoat and Orpington Network Rail Kent and Sussex/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Fans arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane PA Storm Ciara batters UK High water levels in Hawes, North Yorkshire bezberesford/PA Storm Ciara batters UK Combination photo showing a crane at a building site in Worthing, West Sussex, which is rotating on its own in the wind PA Storm Ciara batters UK Manchester City's match against West Ham has been called off due to the extreme weather Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves hitting the Cobb in Lyme Regis Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded pitch at Bramall Lane Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against the breakwater during Storm Ciara at Wimereux, France Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed busts its banks in the Scottish Borders Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Sheep cut off by a flooding River Tweed in The Scottish Borders Getty Storm Ciara batters UK A lifeboat passes white cliffs, as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK People walk on the Erasmusbrug in Rotterdam, The Netherlands EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Porthleven in Cornwall PA Storm Ciara batters UK A woman holds a hand rail to steady herself as she walks along the harbour wall in Polperro, south west England AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK People walk along the promenade as waves in break in a stormy sea alongside the lighthouse in New Brighton, north west England AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Traffic passes through water on the A66 near Bowes in County Durham PA Storm Ciara batters UK Cladding lies on the ground after falling from the Copthorne Hotel next to the Bramall Lane Action Images via Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Damage to one of the stands at Wisbech Town Football Club in Cambridgeshire PA Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash into the wall at Newhaven PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree crushed a car in Wigan vickigregson/PA Storm Ciara batters UK A man walks with a child and a dog on a dike against strong wind during the storm Ciara in Harlingen, The Netherlands ANP/AFP via Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash over the harbour wall by a lighthouse as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK Onlookers watch the storm-churned waters at Newhaven PA Storm Ciara batters UK Police attending the scene of a fallen tree blocking Furze Platt Road, Maidenhead PA Storm Ciara batters UK People get blown by the wind as waves crash over the harbour wall as Storm Ciara hits Newhaven AP Storm Ciara batters UK A motorcycle parked in a flooded street in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Large waves and sea spray caused by Storm Ciara hit vehicles being driven along the seafront in Newhaven REUTERS Storm Ciara batters UK Tree on the Motorway 0411, Brussels to Luxembourg in Bierge, Belgium EPA Storm Ciara batters UK Body boarders ride the stormy waves at Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire as Storm Ciara approaches the Welsh coastline Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK Waves crash against wind turbines at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK People walking alone Salthill promenade in County Galway as Ireland and the UK brace for Storm Ciara PA Storm Ciara batters UK Construction workers begin the process of dismantling steps at Galway's South Park after organisers of the opening ceremony to mark Galway's year as European Capital of Culture cancelled the ceremony due to bad weather with Storm Ciara due to arrive later on Saturday PA Storm Ciara batters UK A fallen tree on power lines in Newborough near Peterborough PA Storm Ciara batters UK Geese take advantage of the conditions as floodwater fills the streets of Hebden Bridge AFP via Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK People walking their dogs on Salthill promenade PA Storm Ciara batters UK Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill County Galway being battered by waves PA Storm Ciara batters UK A body boarder rides the stormy waves at Broad Haven Reuters Storm Ciara batters UK The river Tweed floods in the Scottish Borders Getty Images Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria PA Storm Ciara batters UK A woman walks through floodwater in Bosham, Sussex PA Storm Ciara batters UK Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire after the River Calder burst its banks AFP/Getty Storm Ciara batters UK Flooding on the road through Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire AFP/Getty

Mr Davies, the Shipley MP, said: “Many of my constituents who were flooded over the weekend are exactly the same people who were flooded on Boxing Day in 2015 which really is completely unacceptable. Can she [the environment secretary] assure me that the flood defence programme that the government has in place will ensure that my constituents in Shipley won’t have to suffer this fate yet again?”

Theresa Villiers, the environment secretary, replied: “The government is determined to press on with its major investment in our flood defences to better protect thousands of homes and businesses across the country.” There would be, she added, a “fresh look to make sure that everything possible is being done to keep those flood defence projects on track for delivery”.

The Yorkshire Evening Post used its front page to decry a £23m shortfall in flood protection funding and also compared Ciara to the 2015 devastation.

Luke Pollard, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, said the government “needs to ask itself since parliament declared a climate emergency what is it doing differently on flooding, on protecting our communities”, while former leader Ed Miliband said ministers had still failed to help his constituents in Doncaster who were forced from their homes by flooding in November.

Mr Pollard added that council areas at risk of flooding had suffered swingeing government cuts and that the Environment Agency‘s staffing levels had fallen by one-fifth under the Conservatives.

The announcement of emergency funds came after Hampshire Constabulary said a motorist was killed while driving his Mercedes on the A33 from Winchester to Micheldever. A tree toppled on to his car just before 4pm on Sunday and the driver, a 58-year-old man from Micheldever, died at the site of the crash.

Kite surfer catapulted through air in 94mph Storm Ciara winds

Adverse weather is set to continue. A snow warning has been issued for parts of the Midlands and eastern England and similar alerts for heavy snow and strong winds are in place for Northern Ireland and most of Scotland. People in northwest England have been told to watch out for snow and ice through to Tuesday.

There was also a yellow snow and ice warning covering these regions on Wednesday, as snow showers and icy stretches could cause further disruption. Forecasters said some areas could see blizzards with up to 20cm of snow. There were also 74 flood warnings in place across the country on Monday, as of 8.15pm.

Flights, ferries and trains all faced disruption as the UK struggled to recover from Sunday’s storm and workers fought against the effect of its tail end.

Network Rail said that thousands of engineers had “battled horrendous conditions” throughout Sunday and overnight into Monday in a bid to clear tracks and repair damage after strong winds blew trees, sheds, roofs and trampolines and other debris on to the railway. Overhead power lines were also brought down.

The West Coast Main Line was suspended between Carlisle and Glasgow due to flooding at Caldew Viaduct, Cumbria. Speed restrictions were put in place on several routes, meaning journeys took longer than normal and frequencies were reduced.

Airlines operating to and from UK airports were also affected by the weather conditions, with more than 100 flights cancelled. British Airways and easyJet appeared to be the worst affected, although several other airlines also cancelled flights.