This evening the A47 Norwich Southern Bypass was closed between Trowse and Postwick after the roof was lifted off the Norwich Audi car showroom, near the Broadland Business Park. And the A149 King's Lynn Bypass between Knights Hill and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is expected to remain closed tonight after power lines were brought down.

Travel has been disrupted by the severe weather today.

This evening the A47 Norwich Southern Bypass was closed between Trowse and Postwick after the roof was lifted off the Norwich Audi car showroom, near the Broadland Business Park.

The A149 King's Lynn Bypass between Knights Hill and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is expected to remain closed tonight after power lines were brought down.

Diversions have been set up for both these incidents.

The Breydon bridge at Yarmouth was closed. It has now re-opened but may close again if wind speed picks up.

On the trains, a bus service is operating between Diss and Norwich.

Motorists also suffered disruption on the A144 in Bungay today after power line came,, blocking one side of the road.

Traffic was travelling slowly through the A146 Barnby Bends between Beccles and Lowestoft because of water running off a roadside ploughed field and across the carriagway.

Cromer's Hamilton Road (A149) was closed this afternoon due to an unsafe chimney stack. A diversion was been set up along the B1436.

Swanton Morley suffered several problems with the windy conditions as police were called to deal with electricity cables down on Hannah Road, a tree down on Worthing Road, debris blocking Hoe Road East and another tree blocking the B1147.

Motorists on the A47 at the junction with the A1122 at Swaffham might have really thought pigs were flying after a galvanised pig pen was lifted up by the wind and blown across the carriageway at lunch time. No pigs were injured and the pen landed safely by the side of the road without causing any hold-ups.

Fallen trees were blocking the road on the B1110 at Dereham near the swimming pool and on the A1065 at Weasenham while two trees and a BT pole were brought down on the Cley Road at Swaffham.

A police spokesman said that where roads were blocked they were calling out highways teams and tree surgeons to deal with them but were also being assisted by local farmers and landowners moving debris with tractors.

Heavy rain flooded a garage with 2ft of water at Rougton near Cromer. Owner Stephen Brazier said: “It has happened three times in three weeks - and costs me about £500 a day in lost trade. I am a small business, and it is a lot of money to lose,” he said. Firemen pumped water from the workshop at SB Autos, which Mr Brazier has run for eight years.

The strong winds and rain hit Fakenham's normally bustling Thursday markets with only one or two stalls trading, leaving the usually bustling market place deserted. The story is the same in the area of the popular fleamarket where a cluster of stalls inside the tin hut are still trading. The market traders were forced to abandon their pitches last week because of the bad weather conditions.

Emma Coombs, of the University of East Anglia's WeatherQuest, said: “It will become more settled at the started of next week and a little bit cooler and we could see snow showers or sleet showers on Sunday.

“Temperatures will be dropping down to zero overnight again, which we haven't seen for a while.”

USEFUL CONTACTS

t EDF Energy - 0800 783 8838

t National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950

t Highways Agency - 08457 504030 or www.highways.gov.uk

t Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or - www.environment-agency.gov.uk

t www.metoffice.gov.uk and www.bbc.co.uk/weather