Two people have died as strong winds and heavy rain hit southern England, adding to problems already caused by widespread storms and flooding.

An 85-year-old man died after a freak wave hit a British cruise ship in the English Channel.

In central London, a 49-year-old woman was killed when her car was crushed by falling masonry.

More than 140,000 homes are without power and severe weather warnings are in place for much of the UK.

Energy Networks Association spokesman Tim Field said there had been “some really quite significant damage overnight”, but he added that power had also been restored to 310,000 homes during the night.

Winds of up 80mph (129km/h) – combined with ongoing problems due to flooding – have also caused major disruption to roads and railways.

Some 32 people had to be rescued from a beachfront restaurant in Milford on Sea, Hampshire, after wind-blown shingle smashed windows and a tidal surge flooded the ground floor.

The government’s emergency committee, Cobra, is expected to meet on Saturday and Sunday to discuss the situation.

Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted: “My thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of the people killed in the storms last night.”

BBC weather presenter Nick Miller said the latest storm to hit the UK left its mark as a deep area of low pressure moved north.

He said: “Saturday will start very windy with bands of wet weather working south around that area of low pressure as it pulls away to the north east.”

The Environment Agency has 20 severe flood warnings – meaning “danger to life” – in place, as well more than 170 flood warnings and more that 300 flood alerts in England and Wales. There are a handful of flood alerts in Scotland.

Ship airlift

Several passengers were injured when water crashed through a window of the cruise ship, MS Marco Polo, as it headed for its home port of Tilbury in Essex.

A man and a woman in her 70s were airlifted off the ship, but he later died.

In central London, close to Holborn Underground station, a Skoda Octavia car was crushed when part of a building collapsed on to it at 23:05 GMT on Friday.

The female driver was pronounced dead at the scene. A 25-year-old man and 24-year-old woman, who were also in the vehicle, were taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

A fourth person, believed to be a male passer-by, was also hurt.

Contractors are working to remove a huge oak tree which has closed the main A379 near Starcross in Devon

In Milford on Sea, the Army had to be called in to help emergency services rescue diners enjoying Valentine’s Day at the Marine Restaurant.

The BBC’s David Fenton said rocks and shingle from the beach were flung at the building, smashing 6ft plate glass windows, as well as the windows of Army and fire trucks.

Conditions were described as “extremely dangerous” but police said there had been no serious injuries in the incident.

Elsewhere, two hill walkers who became disorientated in poor weather conditions at the summit of Ben Nevis on Friday had been found safe and well, Police Scotland said on Saturday morning.

Cancelled trains

Severe weather warnings are in place for the south of England, south Wales, Northern Ireland and northern Scotland.

Parts of the M40 and M2 have been closed by fallen trees, and a number of major bridges are shut because of high winds.

The Highways Agency said the QE2 Bridge and the Sheppey Crossing in Kent would remain closed until the winds eased, which is expected to be around mid-afternoon on Saturday.

South West Trains has cancelled all services before 08:00 GMT so lines can be checked for fallen trees and other obstructions.

In south-west England, First Great Western said weather conditions had made it too dangerous to run any trains in Cornwall.

A landslip blocked the line between London and Redhill near Merstham Tunnel, causing delays for thousands of passengers.

Elsewhere, London Fire Brigade said its staff were working “around the clock” to prevent a water treatment works at Kenley, near Purley in Surrey, from flooding.

“The site provides water to 47,000 properties in the area and to ensure that supply is maintained, crews are pumping 24,000 litres of water a minute away from the affected plant,” it said, adding that about 60 people from nearby properties had also been evacuated.

Fighting the floods

In other developments:

• The Environment Agency said river levels were expected to rise and stay high for several days after rainfall on Friday
• About 50 soldiers were called in to help police and the Highways Agency shore up a section of the M50 motorway embankment near Ledbury, Herefordshire
• Overall, about 2,200 armed forces personnel – regulars and reserves – are helping the flood relief effort and a further 3,000 are on stand-by to respond within two hours, according to Maj Gen Patrick Sanders, assistant chief of defence staff
• Shipping containers protecting the damaged seafront railway at Dawlish in Devon were breached on Friday night, leaving properties at risk of flooding
• The Environment Agency confirmed that sirens had also sounded on Portland, where there was a severe flood warning for Chiswell
• A house collapsed in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, due to the strong winds – no-one was injured
• Tens of thousands of sandbags are being used in counties including Gloucestershire, Somerset, Berkshire and Surrey
• Princes William and Harry joined the effort to pile sandbags in Datchet, Berkshire
• Flood defences in Gloucester were succeeding in holding back the water, according to the Environment Agency
• Buckingham Palace said the Queen was supporting farmers affected by the flooding on the Somerset Levels by contributing feed and bedding from the royal farms at Windsor

Some parts of the Somerset Levels have been flooded for several weeks, while areas near the Thames in Berkshire and Surrey have seen major flooding in recent days.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the government will “fight at every front to help people” hit by floods.

BBC