A WET and windy day hit north Essex as Storm Ciarán made its way into Essex.

The storm was the second in two weeks, with the Met Office having issued a yellow warning for rain, as well as a warning for wind too, which lasted most of the day.

Weather bosses warned of “strong and potentially disruptive winds”, with coastal areas hit throughout the day.

The Met Office also warned of potential for “large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties”.

The storm caused damage to beach huts in Frinton and brought down trees across north Essex.

There were flood alerts in place along the river Stour stretching from Sudbury to Stratford St Mary and Dedham, as well as along the River Colne from Great Yeldham to Colchester.

Parts of Dedham and Dovercourt did end up suffering from some flooding.

The storm led to various traffic issues throughout the day.

An overturned lorry on the A12 caused long queues approaching Colchester.

Gazette: Damage - the overturned lorry on the A12Damage - the overturned lorry on the A12 (Image: Simon Squint Souster)

Suffolk Police was called to the incident on the Colchester-bound carriageway near junction 31 for Capel St Mary at about 7.10am.

A spokesman for the force said officers are at the scene but the incident will be taken over by National Highways. 

The AA reported heavy traffic queued back past junction 32.

The strong winds also caused some damage to some properties.

One resident in Dovercourt suffered damage to their garden and fencing and described the strong winds hitting the area as “scary”.

The weather warning remained in place until about 5pm.

The Met Office said Jersey Airport had seen wind gusts of up to 93mph on Thursday morning, with Langdon Bay in Kent recording 71mph winds, and the village of Cardinham in Cornwall seeing 68mph gusts.

The French coast saw winds of up to 110mph in western Brittany overnight.