Storm Eunice hits Hastings and Bexhill: how 20ft waves battered area a year ago - in pictures

Saturday (February 18) marks the first anniversary since the extreme weather hit the area. Weather experts said 20ft-plus waves lashed Hastings and Bexhill during the peak as gusts of nearly 75mph hit the coast.

Dozens of trees were uprooted, a famous seafront bandstand in Bexhill was ripped apart and thousands of homes were left without power and water as violent winds from Storm Eunice battered the area.

The public transport network also ground to a halt as record-breaking winds lashed the south coast a year ago after a rare red weather warning was issued in East and West Sussex, with the ‘danger to life’ alert upgraded to its highest level.

Shops in Hastings town centre had to close as the power went out at around 10am. As the gales strengthened, police closed off an area of the town centre, at the junction of Havelock Road and Cornwallis Terrace, after scaffolding boards fell from Queensbury House on the pavement below.

Flood warnings were issued for Hastings, St Leonards, and between Fairlight and Dungeness. Emergency services warned people to stay away from the sea. As high tide approached, massive waves hit the coast.

The biggest wave - 22ft (6.75 metres) - was recorded at just after noon during high tide.

The storm ripped apart the famous De La Warr Pavilion bandstand in Bexhil, which was installed more than 20 years ago.

There were intermittent power cuts in Hastings, but Bexhill and Battle and their surrounding villages were much harder hit. Some power cuts lasted days, bringing water shortages. Thousands of residents in Bexhill, Hooe, Ninfield, Netherfield, Battle, Staplecross, Ewhurst Green, Horns Cross, Beckley, Peasmarsh, Rye Foreign, Playden and Iden were still without water five days after the storm brought down power lines.

South East Water apologised to customers and said the lack of water was caused by a lack of electricity to water pumps.

The Government held an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the response to the storm as a record wind gust for England of 122mph was recorded at the Old Battery, perched on top of a weather-blasted cliff on the Isle of Wight, stronger than the 115mph gale that battered Shoreham in the 1987 storm.