TREE FALL HAVOC HITS OUR ROADS
STRONG winds caused disruption and damage across South Wales yesterday.
Vehicles, including a St John ambulance on Port Road, Barry, were badly damaged.
A major road linking Swansea to Gower was blocked after another falling tree hit a bus shelter.
In Cardiff Bay there were reports of traffic lights almost blown down in the gales near Morrisons supermarket.
Trees also fell in Ely, Grangetown, Victoria Park and Pontcanna Fields resulting in multiple call-outs for the local authority’s clean-up teams.
One Ely resident described the chaos caused by one huge tree which fell as he was picking his son up from school.
It landed near Green Farm Road and Michaelston Road at around 4pm, causing traffic to be diverted from the area.
Peter Thomas said: “I picked my son up from school at 3pm and it was still standing. I returned to the area about 20 minutes later and it had fallen over due to the high wind.
“There wasn’t any vehicles trapped or anyone hurt.
“Not that I could see anyway – thank goodness.”
Yesterday afternoon a Cardiff council spokesman said: “The area around a fallen tree in Victoria Park has been cordoned off to the public while we prioritise the work taking place with the fallen tree on Michaelston Road.”
Traffic had to be diverted in order to access Michaelston Road.
In Swansea Mayals Road was closed by police after a falling tree clipped the side of a bus shelter.
At around 4.45pm workmen began using chainsaws to clear the road which was later reopened.
And in the west of the country the A482 between Aberaeron and Llanerchaeron was blocked due to a fallen tree.
The Met Office warned that strong winds were expected to continue overnight potentially causing more damage.