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From The Times
January 19, 2007

Blown to a halt by the great gale

  • Eleven die in worst storms since 1990
  • Road, rail and ferries suffer huge disruption
  • Threat of snow and lower temperatures

    • Joanna Bale

    A two-year-old boy was among those killed by the storms, while hundreds more were taken to hospital as trees were uprooted and pylons and walls blown down. Rescue services described the day as the busiest in a decade as dozens of major roads were closed by the winds. Gusts of up to 80mph swept across the country; in the worst areas they came close to 100mph, according to the Met Office. Thousands of households had their electricity cut off and there was widespread disruption on rail lines, including the closure of the Eurostar service, as well as air and sea routes.

    In one half-hour period during the afternoon, drivers on nine motorways, including the M25, M1, M6, M5 and M40, faced closures and blockages. There were 600 road closures, in full or in part, six times more than on a normal busy day.

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