Roofs have been ripped off buildings, cars are being crushed under falling trees and trains have been cancelled across the country as Britain is battered by heavy rain, snow and 70mph gales.
Chaos ensued this morning as strong gusts and flooded roads played havoc with southern England, bringing travel misery for road and rail commuters.
There were dramatic scenes in Newquay, Cornwall, after two roofs were ripped off an industrial warehouse by gale-force winds which struck the South West.
Extreme winds played havoc in parts of Britain today, with this roof being torn off The Bookers food retailer store in Newquay, Cornwall
The dramatic scene at the Treloggan Industrial Estate came amid severe weather warnings for the south of England and 70mph gales
Debris was strewn across the car park next to a Lidl store at the estate in Newquay after the roofs suffered damage due to the high winds
Roads had to be closed around the Treloggan Industrial Estate as firefighters attempted to salvage the torn-up panels from the Bookers and Lidl premises.
In Plymouth, emergency services had to be called to a residential street after a huge tree collapsed overnight, crashing into a parked car, while more than 2,500 homes were also left without power between Helston and Launceston.
Meanwhile, in County Durham, motorists battled against difficult driving conditions, as inches of snow fell across northern England.
With the extreme weather conditions expected to continue for most of today, forecasters have issued severe weather warnings for wind and rain in southern England and Wales, while a yellow 'be aware' warning is in place for rain as far as the Midlands and Yorkshire.
Highways England is also urging drivers to take extra care amid warnings that the East Midlands and the east of England could see water deep enough to cause cars to stall.
Met Office forecaster Rebecca Simpson said road users should 'be aware and be careful'.
Huge waves batter the sea wall at Portreath in Cornwall this morning, as coastal areas in the county experienced gale-force winds
With the extreme weather conditions expected to continue for most of today, forecasters have issued severe weather warnings for wind and rain in southern England and Wales, including Cornwall, where this photograph was taken
She added: 'There are two warnings: the wind warning and the rain warning.
'The wind warning is just for the south-west of England and southern Wales, coastal 70mph gusts so fairly windy. Combined with heavy rain these high winds are likely to produce some difficult driving conditions.
'We are looking at quite heavy rain in the early hours and through the first part of the day. There is the chance with the heavy rain that we might see surface water flooding - if people are out driving they might want to go a bit slower.
'There is a chance of some hill snow around, possibly some sleet at lower levels but it's not going to settle.'
In Plymouth, emergency services had to be called after a huge tree collapsed overnight, crashing into a car parked nearby (pictured)
Commuters are being warned to prepare for road and rail disruption, with strong gusts and road-surface flooding expected to play havoc in parts of the country. The tree fell overnight amid strong winds
Forecasters have issued severe weather warnings for wind and rain in southern England and Wales, including Devon, where the car was struck by the tree
The emergency services were called to the scene to help remove the tree from the car. Highways England is urging drivers to take extra care
Train companies have also warned that gusts of up to 70mph could cause potential train delays in coastal areas, particularly Southampton, Weymouth, Salisbury and Exeter St David's.
South West Trains advised customers to check before travelling, as high winds of up to 60mph and gusts of 70mph are expected on its routes.
The spokesman said: 'Trains may have to travel at lower speeds as a safety precaution which may add delays to some journeys.
'To keep you moving safely around our network, some train services may also need to be changed due to possible flooding or debris blowing onto the track.'
Motorists struggled to deal with difficult driving conditions in County Durham today as the north of England was hit by flurries of snow
The snow in the north of England came as heavy rain and strong winds spread across the southern parts of England and Wales
The snow is expected to turn to rain overnight, making way for improved and slightly warmer weather conditions by Friday
Other rail operators have not put warnings in place, with Virgin Trains, Southern Railway and Gatwick Express not expecting any disruption.
A spokesman for Network Rail said: 'We are closely monitoring the weather conditions and advise passengers to check before they travel.'
London Midland said it would issue passenger advice if necessary.
The wet and windy weather is expected to slowly ease this afternoon, as the band of rain moves eastwards. The country will be drier tomorrow, with patchy light rain in England and Wales.
Today's rain (left) will continue this evening across eastern parts of Britain but the country will be drier tomorrow (right), with patchy light rain in England and Wales. The rain is expected to ease by Friday (right)
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