Gusts of more than 90mph have battered the country, with 30 trees already said to be blocking key rail routes and the weather is set to continue for the rest of the day.

As a result, South Western Railway (SWR) has suspended all its services until at least 6pm, with people urged not to travel at this time.

A spokesperson for SWR said: “Gusts of more than 90mph wind have caused multiple incidents across the SWR network today, with 30 fallen trees already blocking key routes.

“As a result, SWR services have been suspended until at least 18.00 and we strongly urge customers not to travel at this time. We are working hard to restore services, but ask customers to make alternative travel plans if they can.

“Customers should regularly check the ‘Plan my journey’ page on SWR’s website, which will be updated with the latest information every hour.

“We would like to apologise to our customers for the impact this will have on their journeys, but – as always – our primary concern is the safety and welfare of customers and colleagues out on the network”.