Winds that topped 80 mph (130 kph) battered Britain's southern coasts on Monday, uprooting trees, toppling power lines and shutting several busy ports. Coast guard tug boats rescued a petroleum tanker that ran into trouble in a stormy English Channel, according to AP. With more gales expected, officials warned people to avoid coastal areas, where a combination of high tides and huge waves brought flooding to several towns. The Environment Agency issued 40 flood warnings across the country. Southwest England and south Wales were worst hit by the winds roaring in from the Atlantic, with a gust of 82 mph (132 kph) recorded at Berry Head in Devon. Swans paddled up the main street of Flushing in the southwest county of Cornwall, one of several seaside communities where the sea breached harbor walls. Further east, residents stacked up sandbags ahead of the peak tide. «Because of the height of the tides and the intensity of the winds, we expect to see some areas where waves are crashing over the beach and coastal roads and some properties may be flooded,» said Environment Agency spokesman Simon Hughes. «The timing of these weather systems with high tide is crucial.» The storm caused major disruption to travel and shipping, even forcing Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to cancel a planned visit to London. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's office said the two leaders spoke by telephone. Ferry traffic between Portsmouth and Bilbao in northern Spain was canceled, and the port of Dover, one of the country's busiest, was closed to shipping for several hours because of the wind. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the Swedish tanker Astral, carrying 13 crew members and a cargo of gas oil, began dragging anchor and ran aground off the Isle of Wight in the Channel. Two coast guard tugs fought rough seas to tie a line to the vessel and tow it to its destination, an Esso oil refinery in Fawley on England's south coast. Across the Channel, a Dutch cargo ship ran aground in the Vendee region on France's west coast. Maritime officials said it was approaching the port when high winds pushed it off course.
