Storm destroys hundreds of homes in Britain

  
The fiercest storms in nearly 20 years have left a trail of destruction across the UK, with warnings that conditions are set to worsen over the weekend.

Flooding affecting thousands of homes from Cornwall to Scotland is a ‘national emergency’, Chair  of the Commons Environment Select Committee, Anne McIntosh, told Sky News.

According to Daily Mail, she warned that Britain needed to hold regular rehearsals to simulate what happened when major weather hit, to ensure the country is prepared in the future.

Further bad weather is expected on Sunday, forecasters said, with rain giving way to snow in southern Scotland and northern England as cold winds from the Arctic bring freezing temperatures.

A man had to be pulled from the sea to safety in the early hours of Saturday, after ignoring warnings about the dangers posed by the fierce storm.

Rescuers in Newquay, north Cornwall, plucked the man to safety after he went for a swim at around 4:30am.

He was spotted in waist high water by the police and was dragged from the sea and taken to hospital.

The rescue came as The Met Office issued yellow warnings of rain in the south of England and snow in the north of England and southern parts of Scotland.

Up to 30mm (1.1in) of rain could fall in just six hours, and there are more warnings of flooding and travel disruption.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has warned a storm surge is expected to hit the Forth near Glasgow.

There are currently 103 flood warnings in place, as well as 261 alerts spanning the Midlands, East Anglia, the South, North West and Wales.