storm doris damage
© West Midlands Ambulance Service/PA A car damaged by a tree north of Church Stretton in Shropshire left two men injured.
A woman has been killed after being struck by a piece of debris "the size of a coffee table" as high winds from Storm Doris battered the country.

The 29-year-old victim was hit outside a Starbucks in Wolverhampton city centre shortly before 11.45am.

Witness Rebecca Davis said the woman appeared to have been hit by a piece of roof the "size of a coffee table" from a nearby building in Dudley Street, in the city centre.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the woman had suffered "very serious head injuries" - and said they had been unable to save her.

West Midlands Police have since confirmed the woman was "struck" by "wooden debris from a nearby building" and said they are now working with Wolverhampton Council to establish how it came loose.

A force spokeswoman added: "The area remains cordoned off while investigations are ongoing. The lady's family have been informed and are being supported at this tragic time."


A spokesperson for Starbucks said staff were "shocked and saddened" by the tragedy.

"We are supporting the police with their investigation and our store will remain closed until further notice," they added.

Doris has reached speeds of 94mph and brought down power cables and trees since hitting the mainland at around 6am this morning.

The Met Office upgraded the storm to a "weather bomb" - this is when a storm rapidly deepens in the space of 24 hours.

Flights were cancelled and commuters faced travel chaos as Doris battered the UK.

In Ireland almost 46,000 households were left without electricity after violent gusts battered large parts of the country overnight.

Aer Lingus said it had cancelled flights between the UK and Ireland, while Heathrow advised customers to check flights before travelling.

Network Rail said 50mph limits were expected on services across the country.

While winds which caused trees and debris to fall on the line and overhead cables to come down caused cancellations and delays.

An 87mph gust was recorded at Mace Head on the Galway coast in the Republic of Ireland in the early hours as Doris made its way east.

Meanwhile, a 79mph gust was felt in Gwynedd, North Wales at around 8am.

Drivers were "strongly advised" to avoid travelling on some stretches of road in Yorkshire, the Midlands, and the East and North West.

Particularly at risk are high-sided vehicles, caravans and motorbikes.

Storm Doris is expected to move on quickly, with the worst of the weather gone by Thursday evening.

While further Atlantic gusts will bring more rain and wind through the weekend and into next week, they are not expected to reach the heights of Doris.

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