HIGH winds from Storm Aileen hit Worcestershire in the night but the county seems to have got off lightly.

Nicki Baddeley said she woke up to find a small gazebo from the pub next door had blown over the fence into her garden in Powick.

She said: "It broke my washing line, destroyed my flowers.

"It was strong. I checked back on my CCTV and it was 2am that it blew into my garden.

"The gazebo was bolted to the floor in the pub."

Lauretta Smith posted on the Worcester News Facebook page: "It was very windy in Evesham last night.

"I am surprised that nothing was blown over.

"Woke up, and you would never have thought there was any wind.

"I got my husband up at 3.30 am to close the gate, as it was banging."

However, despite warnings of felled trees, power cuts and commuter-time chaos, the county seems to have escaped the worst of it.

The Met Office warned yesterday that a deepening area of low pressure would bring very strong winds across much of England and Wales during Tuesday night and into this morning.

They issued an amber severe weather warning for parts of Worcestershire, warning of gusts of 55-65 mph.

Gusts of up to around 75mph were also predicted at exposed locations such as the coast and hills in these areas.

Power cuts were reported overnight in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, parts of Wales and south-west England.

Rail services around Shrewsbury and north/central Wales were affected by fallen trees, and London Midland is reporting that due to a tree blocking the line between Shirley and Stratford, trains running between these stations may be cancelled or delayed; road transport has been requested between Whitlocks End and Stratford, calling at all stations until further notice.

However, services in and out of Worcester stations seem largely unaffected.

A Yellow Warning is still in place for the county, and the Met Office is now forecasting blustery showers as the day goes on.

So why is Aileen called Aileen?

Storm Aileen was the first storm of the year to be given a name. 

The naming process in the UK is organised by the British and Irish Met Offices and follows an alphabetical system.

And how come it's the first storm of the year in September?

However, the year runs from September to September to reflect the fact that most storms happen over the winter so Aileen is the first of the 2017/18 season.

What's coming next?

For those who are interested - the next storm will be called Brian.