15/02/2014 Look East - East

Good evening. I'm Tom Williams. A big clear`up operation is underway

after violent winds swept the region, disrupting travel and

bringing down hundreds of trees. Buildings have been damaged,

thousands of homes blacked out and scores of roads have been blocked.

The highest gusts of wind were recorded at nearly 70mph.

The roof of a school sports hall in Northamptonshire peeled back by the

force of the wind in the early hours. It has left the Manor School

and Sports College in Raunds facing a major repair programme. The top

layer of one half of the sports hall roof is completely lifted. All the

insulation and the rubberised membrane. There is some damage to

the brickwork at the top so they must have been very powerful winds.

At Chatteris in Cambridgeshire, a former antique shop was simply

flattened. Neighbours said someone was sleeping here but luckily he was

not in when the building collapsed at two o'clock this morning. The

wind was unbelievable, the trees and hedges were virtually bent right

over. I have never known anything like it. The wind was enough to blow

this wall flat in Leighton Buzzard and the roof of the Imperial War

Museum has again been damaged, closing it for the second time in

six weeks. The damage is still being assessed at the moment. What has

happened overnight with the extreme wind and weather conditions is that

there has been some damage to the roof. We cannot get anyone up there

to assess the damage due to the extreme weather so we will be

assessing the conditions on Monday. Trains between Ely and Norwich were

suspended while trees were cleared from the track. This bridge was

closed for 11 hours, and Highways Agency cameras showed the queues

that built up when the A14 was shut at Huntingdon to recover the lorry

that had been blown over. Near Sudbury, two drivers were sitting in

their cars when a tree blew down onto them outside a pub. The wind

was just absolutely ferocious. As they got into the cars to move them,

the tree came down on top of them. It was amazing, neither of them were

hurt, they came into the pub and enjoyed a beer afterwards.

Electricity engineers have been working to repair damage caused by

falling trees, like this one near Brentwood. 11,000 homes and

businesses were cut off. Tonight, around 5000 remain without power.

Four men have been remanded in custody until next month, accused of

murdering a rap artist in Bedford. Isaac Stone was 19 and was known as

Dynamike. He was stabbed to death in Costin Street last month.

In the football today, Ipswich missed the chance to move into the

Championship play`off places. They drew 0`0 with Blackpool. It means

Town stay eighth, two points off the top six.

In League One, Ben Reeves scored a last minute winner for MK Dons. They

beat Oldham 2`1. Stevenage conceded a couple of minutes from time to

lose at Rotherham. They stay bottom. The Dons are tenth, seven points off

the play`offs. Two games last night. No goals in either of the games

involving Peterborough or Colchester. This the closest Posh

came. Michael Bostwick's shot falling to Britt Assombalonga, who

couldn't convert. Peterborough are sixth. They decided quite wisely to

take the wind in the first half and that made it difficult for us to get

out of our half because of the wind. In the second half, we came on a lot

stronger, and on another night, we could have won by a couple, but both

teams tried to play, but it was extremely difficult.

In League Two, Northampton are still bottom. They lost 2`0 at Fleetwood.

Southend let in two goals in the final ten minutes, going down 3`2 at

home to Exeter. In rugby, Northampton are back on

top of the Premiership. They scored three tries to beat Worcester, who

had a man sent off. Last night, Bedford's game was called off due to

the weather. ?? new line Let's get the weather now, with Kate Kinsella.

had a man sent off. Last Good evening. Those damaging winds

from the last 24 hours gradually started to ease through the course

of today. Tonight will be cold and clear which means the temperature

will drop, for some round about zero. There is a weather warning for

ice for first thing tomorrow morning. This could be out towards

the countryside, and more sheltered spots. It does mean clear skies.

Blue sky and sunshine, really uninterrupted through the whole of

tomorrow. The winds will be lighter and temperatures around eight

degrees. On Monday, some cloud around. A bit of a breeze, but

nothing on the scale of the last few days.

That's it. We are back tomorrow at quarter`past six and the later time

of quarter`past 11. See you then, goodbye.