Rain and gales blasted much of Britain yesterday, with roads flooded across the country. More severe weather is expected today.

In Essex, a man was crushed to death on a hospital building site when a gust of wind sent a crane spinning out of control. A source on the building site at Broomfield Hospital said masonry was being winched up on to the top of one of the new buildings when wind sent the crane spinning round about four times. The source added: “A big block of the masonry flew off the cable and landed on him. There was nothing anyone could do.”

In Devon a motorcyclist died in a collision with a car in torrential rain outside Exeter. There were reports of drivers trapped by floodwater in the South West and near Bristol two couples whose cars were swamped had to be rescued.

In Swansea a lamppost brought down by gales crashed through the windscreen of a moving car and a passenger was taken to hospital.

There was another narrow escape in Somerset when a five-tonne boulder crushed a garden shed after being forced loose by the intensive rain. The rock fell 18m (60ft) down a cliff face into a garden in Dulverton, destroying the shed and spilling 1,000 litres of flammable heating oil before coming to rest against the rear of the house.

The strongest winds were felt on the South Coast, where gusts topped 70mph yesterday, after peaking at 89mph off the Isle of Wight at the weekend. Cross-channel ferry services were disrupted as winds reached severe gale force nine.

In Gloucestershire the downpour brought back memories of last year’s floods as rescue services worked all weekend to prevent a repeat of the devastation. In Wales floods forced schools to close and homes to be evacuated. Flood warnings remain in place for swollen rivers across the country.

Strong winds are likely to continue today, particularly in northwest Scotland, before the worst of the weather eases, with sunny spells predicted for tomorrow and Thursday.