THE storm Ciaran wreaked havoc on Britain today, as well 104 mph gusts left thousands of homes without power, schools closed, railroads blocked and ferries canceled.

The Channel Islands were hardest hit. Dozens of homes in Jersey were evacuated as a tornado strucktrees were felled and huge hail broke windows.

Hundreds of schools in the south of England were closed due to risks to pupils while there were concerns about pressure on local services in Hampshire.

Roofs were torn off houses and Trampolines were thrown onto railway tracks, with train operators urging passengers to work from home amid widespread disruption.

Families were rescued from chalets at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park in Burton Bradstock, Dorset, today after huge waves overwhelmed properties in the area.

While the Met Office’s orange warnings have now expiredyellow warnings for wind and rain will remain in place for southern England and Wales until midnight tonight.

A rain warning for the east coast from Hull to Aberdeen is in place until 6am tomorrow.

The Met Office confirmed that Storm Ciaran sets new record for lowest mean sea level pressure recorded in England in Novemberwith a reading of 953.3 hPa (mb) at Plymouth in Devon – compared to the previous low of 959.7 hPa (mb) in 1916.