No major effect from dramatic Storm Brian in Kent
Published: 10:00, 22 October 2017
Updated: 10:30, 22 October 2017
Kent got off the hook with Storm Brian.
Areas across the county ended up no more than a couple of fallen trees and dramatic high waves while the storm, with 70mph winds, caused major disruption to other parts of the British Isles.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for the coast from 4am to midnight yesterday.
Network Rail imposed 50mph speed restrictions on coastal routes including between Faversham, Ramsgate, Dover and Folkestone.
The company also warned people neighbouring railway lines to secure garden equipment in case the high winds picked it up and hurled it onto the track.
In the end there were no reports of Kent Fire and Rescue Service being called out to cases of severe damage or flooding.
The day saw strong winds, some gale force, high tides and heavy bursts of rain but Kent Police reported just six incidents across the county.
In east Kent, a tree came down blocking the road at Willow Road, East Studdal near Deal at 5.45am.
A tree was reported in the road on the A2 at Coldred near Dover just before 1.30pm.
And, about 15 minutes later, a car broke down after being driven through a flooded route at nearby Coldred Road.
The high tides led to gigantic waves crashing against a sea wall at Folkestone and at Dover Harbour but there were no reports of injury of damage.
West Kent also saw a spate of fallen trees.
One fell down on the A26 in Tonbridge on shortly before 7am.
A large tree blocked the road in New Road, Sevenoaks, at 10.15am, and trees fell across electricity cables in Halls Hole Road, Tunbridge Wells, shortly after 3pm.
This storm was the first major one of the season with winds of 40 to 50mph inland.
But there was flash flooding in many Irish cities and seafronts in Wales were deluged with water.
A lifeboat was sent out to help someone in difficulty off the coast of Dyfed in Wales.
Trees and other debris fell on railway tracks in Wales and other parts of southern England.
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Sam Lennon