Terrifying moment lorry TOPPLES on motorway during Storm Eunice gales, before motorists scramble to save driver

THIS is the terrifying moment a lorry toppled over on the motorway as Storm Eunice smashed the UK with 122mph gales.

Motorists scrambled to save the driver after the heart-stopping accident on the M40 northbound near Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Amazingly, the motorist escaped without serious injury. A van had passed in the middle lane moments before the lorry overturned.

A driver who recorded dashcam footage of the crash, which happened when an 84mph blast hit the motorway, said conditions were "terrible".

"I stopped in front of the lorry and rushed out to check the guy was ok," he said.

"Two other lads came running around and assisted me to climb on top of the lorry and drag him out."

The hero said the casualty was "shook up" - but otherwise unharmed.

"He was fine," he said.

"He had a few cuts on his face and was shook up, but all good.

It comes as:

• Terrifying footage shows the moment pedestrians are blown off their feet in Croydon
• Thousands of homes are left without power - and millions of Brits are warned they could be plunged into darkness tonight
• A man in his 60s was killed by a falling tree as he cleared debris in Co Wexford
• An emergency COBRA meeting has taken place as the killer tempest lashes the country
• Schools were shut and Brits were urged to work from home as the storm blew in

"The weather conditions were terrible in terms of wind.

"My reaction was just blank, in a way.

"It was just a shock to see what was happening."

Two lorries were also blown over on the M4 between between Porthcawl and Margam in Wales as 90mph gusts blew in just before 11am.

Tragically, three Brits and an Irishman are known to have been killed by the storm today.

A woman in her 30s, who was a passenger in a car, died in Haringey, London when a tree fell onto the vehicle.

A man in his 30s, who was behind the wheel, was taken to hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

In Hampshire, a man in his 20s was killed and a second man seriously injured when a 10-foot tree fell in market town Alton.

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A man in his 50s died when debris smashed through the windscreen of a car in Merseyside.

And a man in his 60s died in Co Wexford when he was crushed by a tree as he cleared debris.

Elsewhere, three people were taken to hospital - one with serious injuries - after a tree fell on a car in Wiltshire, while two others were hurt in a balcony collapse in London.

The severe weather conditions sparked two rare red weather warnings, meaning there's a 'danger to life'.

Today's gales are believed to be the highest ever recorded in England, according to the Met Office.

Roads are shut around the country after trees toppled into carriageways.

Airports have cancelled hundreds of flights and the Port of Dover temporarily shut during the worst of the weather.

KILLER STORM

South Western Railway said at least 30 fallen trees were blocking key routes and as a result, all services were suspended until this evening.

Six other operators also cancelled all trains until further notice, including c2c, Chiltern Railways, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Southeastern and Transport for Wales.

Both red warnings, which were in force over southern England and Wales, have now lapsed, meaning the strongest gusts have likely ended.

It was the first time London had ever been covered by such an alert.

In Croydon, astonishing footage shows pedestrians being knocked off their feet.

Part of the roof at the O2 was also torn away, with staff warning the venue could be shut for months.

RECORD GALES

The worst-hit region - the Isle of Wight - this morning recorded wind gusts of 122mph.

Gusts there were even stronger than during the Great Storm of 1987 when 18 people were killed.

Meanwhile, a major incident has been declared in Suffolk, while 55,000 homes, farms and businesses suffered blackouts in Ireland this morning and another 85,000 houses were left in the dark across England and Wales.

And more than 100 people were trapped on a ferry in the middle of the sea off the coast of Portsmouth.

Around 90 passengers and 13 members of crew are onboard the Wightlink ferry, which was forced to anchor amid the dangerous conditions.

An amber warning remains in place until 9pm.

Yellow warnings for snow and ice in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England will lapse later this evening.

More yellow warnings for ice, wind and rain have been issued across the weekend and into Monday.

Homes in the south will face a battering yet again tomorrow.

Wind speeds are expected to get up to 60mph through the Bristol Channel and along the south coast of England, and around 50mph inland.