Storm Ciaran terror as giant 'ice bomb' hailstones smash windows during 100mph gale

Huge hailstones fell in the early hours of this morning on Jersey during 100mph gales.

Storm Ciarán battered the south of the UK and Channel Islands last night, with amber weather warnings in place from the Met Office.

But while most areas saw very high winds and heavy rain, Jersey saw extreme hail.

The blocks of ice were giant, up to around 5cm wide and strong enough to smash through windows in Trinity according to Suzie Phillips (@aprilfool1979) on X, formerly Twitter.

While @CarlWalker7 said the hailstones in St Helier, Jersey, sounded like “ice bombs”.

Carl also called the thunderstorm “violent” with others in the replies urging him and his family to stay safe.

Jersey saw the highest wind speeds in the UK, with gusts of up to 104mph, sending debris flying through the air. Areas of northern France saw up to 115mph.

Storm Ciarán is also causing power cuts, closures and cancellations in Kent, Sussex and Surrey.

Today, the storm will track across the south-east and East Anglia before moving over the North Sea this afternoon.

It is believed wind gusts will have peaked over the Channel Islands, Devon and Cornwall but damage and disruption are still possible this morning. Wind could strengthen across the coastal areas of the south-east.

Yellow and amber weather alerts for wind and rain remain in place across the south coast of England. There is also a yellow rain alert in Wales and along the east coast from Leeds to Inverness.