Ferocious storms battered Canterbury on Monday night and Tuesday morning, closing roads and damaging buildings.

Powerful winds and driving rain brought down a live power cable on the A2 in Canterbury overnight.

The road was closed between junction seven of the M2 at Brenley Corner and the A2050 at Harbledown. It reopened later.

A fallen tree saw Cromwell Road in Whitstable closed at its junction with Harbour Street after it blocked the road.

Trees also came down in Cockering Road in Chartham, Rabbit Hole Lane in Barham and on the A2 in Faversham close to the Shell petrol station.

On Monday a Renault and a Porsche were damaged as parts of a house in Whitstable fell into the street.

Police officers and the fire service raced to the end-of-terrace house in Sydenham Street and Stream Walk at around 3.40pm on Monday and closed the road.

Police spokesman Jon Green said: “Fortunately no one was in the house and no one was injured but cars were damaged by the falling bricks.”

Parts of a roof in Orange Street were torn off on Monday night and the windows above the William Hill betting shop in Northgate.

The door of a phone box opposite the shop was ripped off its hinges.

Outside of the city, trees fell into roads. One was reportedly blocking the A28 between Thanet and Canterbury on Tuesday morning.

Others had fallen into the A290 at Blean between Canterbury and Whitstable and one was blocking the Old Dover Road near the junction with Ethelbert Road.

Roads including the Old Thanet Way, the A251 near Faversham and the Whitstable to Canterbury road had large amounts of surface water on them.

Network Rail engineers also spent much of Tuesday morning checking lines train around east for debris. It affected the line between Canterbury and stations in London with many services not running until the late morning.

Dozens of wheelie bins were also blown over and Christmas lights outside the Strada Italian restaurant in Sun Street were pulled out of their fixtures.

At 7.30am on Tuesday police were called to a car on its roof on the coastbound carriageway of the M2 around a mile before the Faversham turn-off. The driver of the car was treated for minor injuries.

Winds also destroyed the side wall of a house in Sheldwich.

Meanwhile, the Christmas tree at the Marlowe was blown over during the storm on Saturday night and fell on to a couple walking near the theatre.

They were not seriously hurt and the theatre insists the tree was properly secured.

Marlowe spokesman Sarah Munday said: “The fixings were rigorously tested at the point of installation, and every day since, but it did come down in Saturday’s exceptional weather conditions.

“The customers were looked after, the area was made safe, and we will be reviewing the situation next year.”