Motorcyclist, 18, dies after crash
A teenager has died after crashing his motorcycle during heavy rain and high winds which battered parts of the country.
The 18-year-old received serious head injuries in the crash in Lancing, West Sussex, and later died in hospital, Sussex Police said.
The man, from Shoreham, West Sussex, had been taken to Hurstwood Park Neurological Centre for treatment following the accident in Brighton Road in the early hours.
No other vehicles are thought to have been involved in the crash, police said, as they appealed for witnesses.
Severe weather warnings were issued for Wales, the South West, the Midlands, London, the South East and eastern parts of the country after gusts of up to 65mph. Forecasters said the gale force winds looked set to ease this weekend, although the unsettled weather was expected to continue.
Victoria Kettley, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said the area of low pressure over the UK which brought the blustery conditions should begin to clear. She said: "As this pressure moves into the North Sea, the winds should ease down. By (Saturday), the low pressure should start moving away, with gusts of 30-35mph across the country by midday. As the low pressure clears, the showers we have seen should also clear away."
However, she warned that another area of low pressure was expected to move across parts of the UK on Sunday, bringing wet weather to Wales and the Midlands.
Across the country, a number of trees were brought down, including one which crushed a car near Tavistock, Devon, on Thursday afternoon. Crews from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service used cutting gear to remove the roof of the vehicle and release a woman who was taken to hospital.
A section of the country's busiest shopping street, Oxford Street in London, was closed for more than two hours after winds caused a steel cable to bring down jubilee bunting on to the road.
The windy conditions also led to delays to some ferry services at the Port of Dover in Kent. The Wightlink Lymington to Yarmouth service is running a delayed service after being temporarily suspended, while the Red Funnel red jet service from Southampton to East Cowes remains suspended.
