Snow and winds of 65mph hit Devon and Cornwall Published duration 15 May 2013

image caption Mark Shackleton took this photo of his back garden in Princetown

image caption A number of homes in Plympton St Maurice were left without electricity when a tree crashed through power lines and landed on a parked car

image caption A street in Princetown on Dartmoor

image caption The view from Gavin Fabiani-Laymon's window in Princetown

Snow has fallen in parts of Devon in what has been described as "fairly unusual" weather for May.

Winds of up to 65mph also struck the South West coast overnight with a number of trees coming down, some blocking roads.

Western Power Distribution said homes in Cornwall were still without power after thousands were cut off overnight.

Fourteen flood alerts are still in place in Devon and Cornwall following heavy rain on Monday.

Sheila Coates, from Princetown, told BBC Radio Devon: "It's crazy. When I went to bed last night I couldn't see out of my front window for the snow.

"I've lived here all my life and I've never known weather like it at this time of year."

'It was mad'

Gavin Fabiani-Laymon, who also lives in Princetown, took a photo of the snow and said it lasted "about an hour".

"I went to walk the dog and opened the front door to a blizzard of snow.

"It was mad, it took me by surprise," he said.

media caption Shropshire landscape covered in snow in the middle of May

The Met Office said the snow which fell in Devon was "a transient feature".

Forecaster Philip Avery said: "May snowfall is unusual but not unheard of, even in southern England.

"Snow has even managed to fall into June… but that really is a rarity.

"The last really widespread snowfall in May was 17 May 1955 when much of England and Wales was affected by several hours of snow.

"Coincidentally, Devon also saw significant snow on 17 May 1935."

He said the snow was caused by very wet and windy weather across the region on Tuesday combined with falling temperatures after sunset.

The winds are expected to ease during Wednesday with the weather getting drier and brighter.

About 12 homes are without electricity in Plympton St Maurice, Plymouth, after a tree crashed through power lines about lunchtime and landed on a parked car.