CHRISTCHURCH QUAY flooded on Saturday morning and the Environment Agency issued flood warnings for Poole and Wareham but both towns escaped the worst.

Throughout the day Dorset residents endured the worst storm of the year with winds gusting up to 80 miles an hour. Wind speeds of 100mph were recorded at the Needles on the Isle of Wight.

As darkness fell the winds finally dropped, although much of the area was affected by torrential rain.

Jan Shaw, who owns The Old Mill Tea Rooms on the quay in Christchurch, was so concerned about the threat of flooding that he had sandbags at the ready and spent Friday night at his cafe.

Footage from Christchurch Quay

And drivers were warned to avoid the quay as deep water covered the area.

High winds gusted through Bournemouth Square and dislodged planks of wood from one of the market stores and battered the Christmas tree. Shoppers took shelter in doorways.

Footage from Boscombe

Holly Trotman, aged 24, said: "It is like being in the middle of a hurricane. I don't think I have ever seen weather like this before."

In the New Forest, the A35 was blocked at the junction of Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive when the high winds brought down a tree on Saturday morning.

Footage from Christchurch Harbour

In Bournemouth there was structural damage and firefighters were called when a ceiling collapsed at a car park underneath student accommodation at Lyme Regis House in Holdenhurst Road on Friday night.

Several people were also left stranded or trapped by flood water during Friday night’s bad weather. Firefighters were called to help five people stuck in flood water at Whitchurch Canonicorum between Charmouth and Bridport including two small children and a pregnant woman.

Appliances from Charmouth and Lyme and special rescue vehicles from Weymouth were mobilised.

They found that the flood water had reached the bonnet but everyone had managed to scramble to safety. An ambulance crew was called to check the pregnant woman who was unhurt.

In another incident a Beaminster crew were called to help two people stranded in a car just outside Broadwindsor at 11.20pm.