A HORROR crash has forced a major motorway to close after Storm Babet wreaked havoc.
The M4 is shut in both directions due to a serious crash involving a lorry between J17 and J18 near Bath.
A lorry has overturned in a serious crash on the M4SWNS
Drivers have been warned about travelling in perilous conditions caused by Storm BabetSWNS
Storm Babet claimed its second victim earlier today after a motorist in a van was hit by a falling tree.
The killer storm continues to wreak havoc across the nation with commuters battling against flooded roads and even sea foam.
Extensive flooding, loss of power and collapsing buildings should all be expected by communities in the area, warns the Met Office.
Meanwhile, two schools have been forced to close as flooding impacts drivers and railway passengers, with warnings in place.
Dorcan Academy Secondary School in Swindon, Wiltshire, and Naunton Park Primary School in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, closed due to severe weather.
There have been a number of minor crashes on smaller roads, including two on the A419 in Wiltshire.
Dorset and Wiltshire firefighters have attended five flooded properties and completed five vehicle rescues.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service issued a warning to drivers travelling in the rainy weather.
A spokesperson said: “Driving in severe weather can be dangerous. In heavy rain, we encourage you to drive slowly and leave plenty of room between you and the vehicles around you.
“Driving too quickly can cause you difficulty if you need to make an emergency stop, and can also cause dangerous levels of spray for vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.”
The storm has also caused transport disruption with passengers hit by flight cancellations.
Nine departures and seven arrivals have already been axed at Aberdeen airport today.
Footage showed a train line at Hooton Station on Wirral deep under water with services suspended.
And rail operators are warning of disruption to travel in Birmingham and Derby.
Earlier today, an urgent helicopter search was launched after a man became trapped in his car in floodwater near the Aberdeenshire village of Marykirk.
Reports say the man in his vehicle was swept into the River North Esk with authorities scouring the area.
Brits were earlier warned that the “worst impacts are yet to come” as officials urged people to take care amid the torrential downpours.
The Met Office has issued a slew of weather warnings, including alerts about potentially life threatening amounts of rain and high winds that could cause power outages.
The rare red alert in Scotland for wind and rain covers an area from southern Aberdeenshire and Angus to the outskirts of Dundee and Perth.
Some locations are likely to see between 20-25cm (8 to 10 inches) of rainfall, says the Met Office.
Today, forecasters sent out another rare red weather warning for part of eastern Scotland, indicating a danger to life, due to further torrential rainfall expected on Saturday.
The warning – for “exceptionally heavy and persistent rain” – is in place from midnight on Saturday to 11:59pm on the same day.
40ft-high waves even destroyed a historic lighthouse in South Shields as the storm continues to batter Britain.
Massive waves were seen crashing against the coast in other areas while howling gusts sweeping in from the Atlantic pose a danger to life.
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