Thousands of Britons are left without power and commuters face chaos this morning as Storm Aileen blasts Britain with 75mph winds

Commuters are bracing themselves for rush hour chaos and thousands have been left without power as Storm Aileen batters the UK. The first named storm of the year hit the country overnight and will continue through the day, bringing gale force winds of up to 75mph. Weather forecasters have advised battening down hatches as rainstorms tear across Britain today with one council in Manchester even advising people not go out last night unless absolutely necessary. More than 800 homes are without power in Nottinghamshire, while 700 homes have been affected in Lincolnshire. Parts of Wales and the South West also reported power cuts. Roads up and down the UK have been closed due to falling trees, and Network Rail is warning commuters there is likely to be disruption on the trains during the morning rush hour with line closures and speed restrictions. The Environment Agency has made more than a dozen separate flood alerts as rivers are expected to burst their banks from the heavy rainfall, and a yellow weather warning for rain is in place for parts of Northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland.