A Porsche 911 sports car has been hit by tree in a storm for the second time in just a few years. Zenya Dunne said that this time the vehicle is a write-off after a three-tonne branch came crashing down as Storm Otto swept through Harrogate, in North Yorkshire, early on Friday morning.
She said it is her partner’s car and the “pride of his life”. Ms Dunne said it was fortunate the tree came down onto the parked car during the night when few people were around and, on Friday morning, residents took to social media to warn people to stay away due to the danger posed by the precarious branches.
She told the PA news agency: “The tree is quite a size and it’s smashed down onto the roof. This time, the car is completely and utterly crushed.
“I’ve been told by six or seven gentlemen already that it’s a write-off.”
Ms Dunne said she has been worried about the tree for some time and the car was damaged a couple of years ago when a branch came off. She said: “It’s a really, really big tree. It’s been unsafe for quite some time and we’ve reported it numerous times.”
And she said: “It came straight through our garden and has nearly smashed through the front window.
“It was lucky it was through the night. It could have been much worse if it had been through the day time.”
One resident concerned about the danger posed by the tree said on Twitter: “A large tree has fallen across Granby Road which has crushed a car. The public are wandering under the three-ton semi-attached limb putting themselves in mortal danger.”
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Charlie Lowe, a 29-year-old cake business owner from Harrogate, photographed the crushed Porsche on her way to work, telling the PA news agency: “I felt shocked and I think it’s nerve-wracking. I felt a bit nervous driving around Harrogate as a result.”
Storm Otto has brought travel disruption and left thousands of homes without power as it makes its way across northern England and Scotland. The storm caused trains and flights to be cancelled on Friday morning, with three overturned lorries blocking traffic on the A1(M).
The Met Office said gusts of 75-80mph had been recorded across parts of northern Scotland. About 19,000 homes were left without power over 143 incidents, Northern Powergrid said. More than 11,000 are said to have since had supplies restored.
North Yorkshire Police said they had received “numerous calls” involving high-sided vehicles being blown over on the A1(M) and other routes, and urged motorists to “slow down”.
Leeds Bradford Airport remained open but a spokesperson said the weather had caused disruption to flight schedules.
“We currently remain open but are experiencing some delays and disruptions to flights. We’d recommend passengers check with their airlines and on our website for live updates,” the spokesperson said.
Two lorries were reported to have blown over on the A1(M) in North Yorkshire, causing traffic problems, while the road was closed between junctions 60 and 59 in County Durham after two vehicles overturned, National Highways said.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) said a number of services had been cancelled, and train firm Northern said a tree was blocking the line between Harrogate and Knaresborough, affecting a range of services.
