Huge roof section is blown off a block of flats in Slough - crushing cars and sending tons of debris into the street below but NO one is hurt as storm Brendan batters Britain

• Heavy winds ripped the roof off of a block of flats, flinging it into the middle of the busy Slough High Street 
• No injuries were reported after the roof of the block, which houses around 200 people, landed in the street
• Comes after a second storm in 24 hours ravaged Britain, causing carnage and disruption all over the country
• On Monday, Storm Brendan closed schools, shut roads with fallen trees, hit ferry services and blocked trains 
• Wednesday will be calmer before wind and rain again hits the UK on Thursday, according to the Met Office 
•  ***Did you see what happened? Let us know: danny.hussain@mailonline.co.uk or call us on 02036150773***

The roof of a whole block of flats housing around 200 people in Slough was ripped off by fierce winds yesterday evening, sending tons of debris crashing into the middle of a busy High Street, crushing cars and causing panic.

Despite shocking images and videos of mangled wreckage, no injuries were reported after the roof landed in the centre of the busy Berkshire town.  

Shocked onlookers were filmed sifting through the fallen roof, with emergency services rushing to the scene to search for people trapped in the rubble
.  

One resident, who lives in the block of flats that the roof fell from, told MailOnline that the main road was 'completely taped off' and that he heard the roof groaning shortly before it fell. A taxi driver added that it was a 'miracle nobody was killed'.

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue said that there were no serious injuries and they hadn't found anybody under the rubble.

Slough Council added: 'We can now confirm the High Street in this area will remain closed to traffic and pedestrians tonight and into tomorrow. Businesses within the cordoned area will be closed until the cordon is lifted. This is for the safety of everyone. Thank you.'

Britain was ravaged by 48 hours of horrific storms, after Storm Brendan had previously caused carnage all over the country on Monday.

Gusts in the Slough area were in excess of 50mph on Tuesday evening, according to the Met Office. 

The stormy weather conditions are set to calm down over the next 24 hours - before another spell of wind and rain hits the UK on Thursday.The roof was ripped off a nearby apartment building by strong winds and landed in the middle of Slough High Street, crushing cars

The roof was ripped off a nearby apartment building by strong winds and landed in the middle of Slough High Street, crushing cars

The 48-hour period of wild weather began with Storm Brendan hammering Ireland on Monday, causing thousands of homes to lose power, before bringing winds in excess of 80mph to parts of Scotland and England.

Airlines were forced to divert flights scheduled to land at Gatwick Airport on Monday evening while ferries and railways faced disruption.

A second low-pressure front brought further strong gales to much of the country on Tuesday, causing the roof of the apartment block to crash into Slough High Street.

A yellow warning of wind covering much of England is due to expire at 5am on Wednesday, while a rain warning covering south-east England is scheduled to cease at 9am.

Meteorologist Alex Burkill, from the Met Office, said: 'It will take a little while but the rain should clear by lunchtime.

'Once it does clear away, otherwise tomorrow, most places are in for some decent sunny spells.'

There could be further thundery showers mainly to the north and west of the UK, with the chance of sleet and snow across the hills and mountains of Scotland and Northern Ireland, according to the forecaster.

Some 25 flood warnings and 165 flood alerts were issued by the Environment Agency on Tuesday, as coastal areas struggled with strong gusts, high tides and large waves.

Rail passengers faced delays and temporary speed limits due to the heavy winds and fallen trees, while drivers were advised to take extra care on the roads.

Although the wind is due to ease off on Wednesday, conditions will still be blustery, Mr Burkill said, and temperatures are due to dip slightly to 9 degrees.
But he warned that more unsettled weather was ahead on Thursday, particularly during the second half of the day, when places across the country could expect wet and windy weather.

It doesn't look as bad as what we've had through the past couple of days,' he added.

'At the moment it looks like we'll stay warning free (on Thursday). It's just a windy day rather than a hazardous one.'

A gust of 78mph was recorded on the Isle of Wight on Tuesday, while the village of Libanus in Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, saw 42mm of rainfall in 24 hours, according to the Met Office.

In Slough, Haris Baig, 30, from nearby, said he was driving along the High Street when he saw a large section of roof crash down in front of him.

He said: 'At first I thought it was scaffolding, but then I realised the whole roof had come down. There was a massive amount of noise.

'I was about 15 metres away and slammed on my brakes. I got out to see if everyone was alright. That was my first reaction, but at the same time I was thinking is this even safe?'

Mr Baig said he did not see anyone injured, but heard that one person had broken their leg.

'It was a disaster. It was a miracle no one was killed.'

Balconies on the top floor of the apartment block have been covered with yellow insulation, with much of it still being blown off the roof by strong winds.

Sebastian Rejnisz, 44, who lives in the affected building, said: 'I was moving my car out the back at the time when I heard a boom. I just thought it was the bins.

'I then went in and opened the front door [of the building] and saw the roof was on the street.

'Everyone was just running around.'

Housing firm Paradigm Housing said the roof collapse in Slough had affected one of its properties, although it is unclear whether the block of flats is owned by the company.

In a statement on Twitter, the firm said: 'We are aware of an incident affecting one of our properties in Slough.

'We have staff on site and are working with the emergency services and supporting residents.

'If you need to contact us please ring 0300 303 1010 where you will be connected to our out of hours provider.'

A spokesman for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said three fire engines were in attendance on Slough High Street after the roof came off 'in the wind'.

Source