Tree smashes through roof of family home and covers teenager in glass

A family got the fright of their lives when a tree smashed through their roof while they were watching TV on Saturday night.

Back-to-back storms Austen and Boelo caused carnage across the UK over the weekend, as winds exceeding 80mph and excessive rain led to flooding and building damage.

For one household in Southampton, they feared ‘a bomb’ had gone off when an almighty crash interrupted their midnight viewing.

Aman Kaur, 45, lives with her partner, Harmesh Lal, 46, and their children, Sam, 16, and Angelian, 12, in the property, and recalled the terrifying moment a tree ploughed through the ceiling.

‘Suddenly we thought it was a bomb. The glass and the noise were shocking,’ said Aman.

Aman added to The Sun that ‘glass went everywhere’, leaving eldest Sam ‘covered with broken shards’.

‘He just went into shock. He couldn’t move. Harmesh and I both quickly grabbed him and held him. He was shaking.

‘It took us maybe a couple of minutes to realise that actually, a tree was on the house.’

Thankfully, the family are all safe, with just ‘a couple of scratches’ on their faces from the glass.

‘I am so glad we are all alive,’ she said.

Photos show the branches piercing the roof, with a large crack in Angelian’s bedroom upstairs.

Now, the household faces uncertainty after investing their savings into what they expected to be their forever home.

‘I had fish in my pond in the back garden, and they are all dead. They are all gone. I literally stood there this morning and cried,’ said Aman.

‘It is so scary. If we keep getting storms like that, I fear this will happen again.’

The Met Office has issued another yellow warning, which will remain in place overnight as gusts and downpours continue to batter parts of northern England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said conditions will improve briefly before more rain tomorrow.

‘There are more heavy rain and strong winds to come because of a deepening area of low pressure – another one – which is heading towards us,’ he said.

‘Albeit, this low doesn’t look as deep or is coming quite as close as Boelo did.’

Earlier today, the Environment Agency also issued 10 warnings that flooding is expected and 65 alerts where it is possible, while the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said 10 flood warnings and 11 flood alerts were in place.

By 7pm last night, the Energy Networks Association said 90,000 customers in the UK and Ireland were still without power.

Authorities have confirmed the deaths of two men from falling trees, with one man in his 20s pronounced dead in north London after a tree fell onto the car he was driving.

Another man, in his 60s, was hit by a tree near Castle Douglas in Dumfries.

Additionally, two women were taken to hospital after being hit by a toppling tree in Aberfeldy, Perth and Kinross.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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