Storm Eowyn tragedy as man, 20, killed by car-crushing falling tree

A man, 20, has been killed in Storm Eowyn's "historic winds". Spotting the danger he was in, Kacper Dudek desperately performed a U-turn in an attempt to drive away from the devastation being wreaked by the tumultuous weather.

According to police, the storm uprooted a tree and sent it topping onto Kacper's car, crushing him to death in the process.

Although Poland-born, Kacper grew up in Lifford, Donegal in Ireland.

In what's been described as the storm of the century, Eowyn smashed Britain on Friday with record breaking 118mph hurricane force gales which caused total chaos. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled across Britain and Ireland, with trains axed, roads blocked, schools closed and millions warned to stay at home as the storm raged into the early hours.

Storm Eowyn has damaged buildings, uprooted trees and cut power to more than 280,000 homes and businesses. Mace Head on Ireland’s Galway coast has recorded the strongest winds in the country’s history at 114mph.

Around 5million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland have received an emergency “Armageddon” Government phone alert warning that treacherous conditions pose an “extreme and real” threat to life.

ScotRail and Avanti West Coast have suspended all rail services. It came as forecasters warned of “tornado”-style events as a result of the storm as far south as London.

The European Storm Forecast Experiment, a team of meteorologists, said London was among the areas at risk of seeing “tornado events”.

The researchers said: “Given rapid translation of thunderstorms, any tornado could be long-tracked and even a strong event cannot be ruled out. The main tornado risk seems to evolve along and [south] of a Bristol-London line.”

A homeowner told of his shock after a huge tree crashed into his house. Richard Dunn, 58, says he was in his living room when he heard a sudden crash and he saw a large tree come through his window.

The incident was caused by strong winds.