Storm Noa has wreaked havoc across the UK as 75mph gusts left hundreds of properties without power and brought trees down across roads and train tracks.
A swathe of wintery weather, named Storm Noa by Meteo France, swept across the country on Wednesday causing travel delays in southern England and Wales.
Rail services including Southern, Thameslink and Great Western Rail reported delays or cancellations.
South Western Railway said train services running across the whole of its network may be cancelled or delayed due to high winds, with disruption expected until 10pm.
Major motorways were also closed including two sections of the M4 in Wales as well as the M48 Severn Bridge, where National Highways reported gusts of 68mph.
Storm Noa will bring damaging wind, heavy rain, and thundery showers across large swathes of the UK today.
— Met Centre (@MetCentreWX) April 12, 2023
There will also be some snow, mainly over higher ground!❄️
This is Bwlchgwyn, Wales at the moment…pic.twitter.com/8de9cnSlzZ
Coastal areas in the South West were worst hit, with the National Grid reporting in the afternoon that 268 properties in Devon and 43 in Cornwall had been left without power.
A 96mph gust was recorded by the Met Office at The Needles on The Isle of White - the strongest in the UK.
Meanwhile, a search was under way for a person swept out to sea in Brighton. The Coastguard, RNLI and police carried out a search and rescue operation for somebody possibly in the water near the Palace Pier.
The Coastguard helicopter was seen sweeping the area in the ongoing search.
Tom Morgan, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "In addition to the strong winds, we've seen heavy showers and thunderstorms relatively widely through England and Wales this afternoon, particularly in south-east England and East Anglia.
"We've also seen snow across the higher ground of Wales in the Pennines, and across the Scottish Highlands."
Wind and rain sweeping through regions have led to rapid drops in temperature, with temperatures falling in Rothamsted, Hertfordshire, by four degrees in the space of an hour.
Scotland also experienced heavy showers, with western areas seeing up to 40mm of rain and other areas getting 20mm.
Temperatures in Scotland remained around 5C but will dip to freezing level overnight, particularly in rural areas in the north of the country.
🌦️ Sunshine and showers which may be heavy and thundery at times, and could turn wintry over any hills, especially in the north
— Met Office (@metoffice) April 12, 2023
⚠️ #StormNoa will bring strong winds to the south and west, with yellow warnings in place
🌡️ Feeling cold, with temperatures below average pic.twitter.com/3aNdIglaqq
A yellow warning for wind was lifted in Northern Ireland, though some coastal areas experienced winds of 50mph.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: "The set up is low pressure dominant both in the South West and in Scotland.
"Overnight tonight and into Thursday, we are expecting these low-pressure systems to combine and move into the North Sea. This will leave behind showers across much of the UK with winds decreasing throughout the day on Thursday."
Although the weather system is a named storm in France, it is not classed as such by the Met Office.
The first storm to be named by the Met Office, or Irish or Dutch weather services, this season will still be Storm Antoni, in accordance with the 2022/23 name list.
