A MASSIVE section of tree has been brought down onto a Chard park after 70mph winds swept across the region.

Council workers have been called in to chop up the great branch.

It collapsed over the fence of Henson Park's play area and landed just short of of the swings.

A spokesman for Chard Town Council said: "Due to the high winds it has come down.

"We are just waiting for South Somerset District Council workers to come and move it."

Gusts approaching 80mph have hit England and Wales with weather warnings for further strong winds set to come into force for the weekend.

A yellow warning for wind has been issued by the Met Office for most of the UK on Friday and Saturday, meaning delays are likely to road, rail, air and ferry travel.

Tall vehicles travelling on exposed roads and bridges should also expect to be delayed by the weather, according to forecasters.

Met Office meteorologist Mark Wilson said: "Through Friday and Saturday there are going to be some more strong winds and heavy rain."

The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the Dartford Crossing, a major commuter route across the River Thames, was closed for around three hours on Thursday morning due to unsafe wind speeds, Highways England said.

Overnight, 285 homes in Cornwall lost power due to the bad weather while others in the area experienced short outages of three minutes or less, Western Power Distribution said.

A 76mph gust was measured on Thursday morning in Capel Curig, north Wales, as well as a 67mph gust in Aberdaron on the country's west coast.

The strongest wind measured by the Met Office overnight was 79mph on the Isle of Wight.