HIGH winds toppled a tree on to an electricity line in Milton, near Abingdon, today leaving 7,000 homes without power.

Power went down when the tree fell on the high voltage line at 8am.

Southern Electric brought an additional 20 engineers down from Scotland in anticipation of high winds causing problems with the weather.

The company said engineers were working on fixing it at the moment although they said the weather was likely to hamper repairs.

A spokesman said: "I would encourage people to give us a call if they are worried about the situation. We do provide temporary heating facilities if necessary."

The Met Office said gusts of up to 70mph could hit exposed parts of the county, such as the Cotswolds.

Traffic disruption is likely and Southern Electric is gearing up for power cuts.

Susan Scobie, of Southern Electric, said: "We are prepared. In the event of electricity going off people need to make sure they have got a torch to hand and hopefully candles. Stay in one room and check on neighbours"

The strong winds will combine with heavy persistent rainfall throughout the day to create torrid conditions for drivers.

Continued....

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