A woman was trapped under a fallen tree as Storm Henk wrecked cars and wrought travel chaos, with winds of almost 100mph.

Firefighters freed the woman who was rushed to hospital by air ambulance after she was pinned down in Orpington, south-east London, at around 3pm.

Scaffolding fell from the front of a building in Greenwich, London.

Around 9,000 homes were yesterday left without power – mainly in the South West.

Cars were shattered by falling trees, with buildings damaged, trains disrupted and planes struggling to land at Heathrow.

More than 1,000 people had to abandon a holiday park in Northampton.

The evacuation of Billing Aquadrome’s caravans came after a severe flood warning from the Environment Agency.

Holidaymaker Linda Page said: “The flood warning siren reminds me of the noise of the air raid sirens in the Second World War.”

Meanwhile, one of the British Army’s newest attack helicopters, thought to adapt well to strong wind, was blown over.

The Apache AH-64E was knocked on to its side at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire.

No one was injured and all other aircraft remained undamaged, reports said.

Amid flooding in the Midlands, major roads were closed and firefighters used an inflatable to rescue people from a car in a flood in Kenilworth, Warwicks.

A dog walker pulled a woman in her 50s from the River Severn in Worcester on New Years’ Day.

Colin McGarva, 31, said: “The water was freezing. I just had to do it. I’m a bit emotional about it now.”

The woman was treated at hospital.