AS Storm Doris swept the country today (Thursday, February 23), Redditch residents felt the force of her wrath as gale force winds blasted through the town.
More than a thousand homes across Redditch and Bromsgrove were left without power with 600 homes in Astwood Bank affected by power cuts throughout the day.
Residents in Beoley were also affected by the extreme weather with around 140 homes left without electricity, while nearly 200 homes in Oaktree Lane in Sambourne were left with intermittent power, flickering on and off throughout yesterday morning.
As well as the electricity companies Hereford and Worcestershire Fire services reported a receiving an unusually high level of calls as the storm battered the county.
On the railways commuters were left stranded when Cross City trains between Redditch and Lichfield were suspended due to fallen trees on the tracks and damage to overhead cables at Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield, and New Street.
Those few trains that were running were restricted to a 50 mile-per-hour speed limit for safety reasons amidst the high winds.
The high speed winds caused chaos on the roads too and one resident, who had parked in Plymouth Road, near Pitcheroak Golf Course returned to find their VW Beetle had been crushed by a fallen tree.
At around 12noon yesterday, West Mercia police and staff from Redditch Borough Council attended the scene to remove and cut up the tree to free the car form beneath.
Redditch Golf Course in Callow Hill was also closed due to the adverse weather conditions.
The mess Storm Doris left in her wake continued as branches, wheelie bins and debris blew into roads, and many shops and businesses found their signs swept away and smashed by the breeze.
Dozens of wheelie bins were tipped over on Bromsgrove Road, resulting in litter and recycling rubbish left strewn across the road and in residents’ gardens.
The Met Office issued severe weather warnings of wind, snow and ice covering almost the entire UK although the winds were abating by the evening.
