Thousands of homes are without power after strong winds and rain hit the south west of England and Wales.

 

The Met Office said gusts of up to 70mph and 20mm of rain would spread from the south west to south-west Wales and eastern Northern Ireland overnight.

 

Western Power Distribution said about 14,000 homes in south-west England and 1,300 in Wales were facing power cuts.

Trees and other debris have smashed into power lines bringing them down

Rail services have also been disrupted, with all lines between Exeter St Davids and Penzance closed.

Earlier, the Prince of Wales met residents in the flood-hit Somerset Levels where thousands of hectares of land remain under water and whole villages have been cut off for weeks.