POWER cuts and fallen trees caused havoc for parts of the Wellington area as the first named named storms of the autumn struck over the weekend.

Storm Austen on Friday (October 23) was quickly followed by Storm Boelo, with the Met Office issuing yellow weather warnings first for strong winds and then for heavy rainfall.

Hundreds of homes and businesses were left without electricity for up to 24 hours as the stormy weather brought down high voltage overhead power cables on Friday.

Nearly 800 properties between Milverton and Wiveliscombe saw electricity lost just before 11 am on Friday and although 336 were reconnected by 2.30 pm, the remaining 38 were told it could be 1 pm on Saturday before supplies were restored.

The lights went out for another 381 properties in Tonedale, Wellington, and across an area stretching from Langford Budville to Bathealton.

National Grid Electricity Generation reconnected 233 by 5 pm but said it could be 1 pm on Saturday before the remaining 148 were back online.

A fallen tree blocked Monument Hill on Sunday morning, with local residents stepping in with a chainsaw to to help clear a way for vehicles to be able to pass.

Residents helped to clear Monument Hill, outside Wellington, with a chainsaw after the road was blocked by a fallen tree on Sunday.
Residents helped to clear Monument Hill, outside Wellington, with a chainsaw after the road was blocked by a fallen tree on Sunday. (Tindle News)

A tree also cane down at Whipcot Water, between Holcombe Rogus and the quarry in Westleigh on Friday, and another fell at Durleymoor Cross.

The strong winds on Friday saw a corrugated metal roof being blown off a building close to Dunkeswell Airfield on the Blackdown Hills.

Saturday should have seen the second Garden of Light event in Wellington after more than 2,000 took part in the inaugural event last year.

However, the town council postponed the event until next March because of the weather forecast and said tickets would be honoured on the revised date.