PARTS of Gwent were left battered by winds up to 50mph last night. In Griffithstown, near Pontypool, engineers worked through the morning to restore power to nearly 1,000 homes.

Flood warnings are still in place for the rivers Usk, Monnow and Wye. High winds also forced the closure of the old Severn Bridge and uprooted trees caused travel chaos during the evening rush hour.

In Fields Road, Pontymister, a tree fell onto a lamppost, which then fell onto a power-line, causing an hour-long power blackout.

Rush-hour traffic came to a halt in Cwmbran at around 5pm when a tree fell across Avondale Road, and on the A466 near Tintern a tree blocked both lanes of the road.

Nobody was hurt in either incident. Sergeant Jon Hill, of Gwent Police, said: "We have had a few minor incidents with trees but nothing serious."

Meanwhile, rain and winds are forecast to continue throughout Gwent today, with temperatures reaching no more than 13 degrees. The winds are expected to die down tomorrow and the forecast is for showers and sunny spells.