STRONG winds and heavy showers have battered the east coast overnight with more than 100 weather-related incidents reported to police during a ten-hour period across Suffolk.

The stormy weather battered parts of north Suffolk on Wednesday and Thursday - with the Lowestoft area feeling the force of the blustery gales.

As the storms swept across East Anglia, causing havoc on the region's roads, trees were brought down as motorists and commuters were faced with early morning delays.

A Suffolk police spokesman told The Journal that officers responded to 'over 100' weather-related incidents across the county between 9.45pm on Wednesday and 8.30am this morning (Thursday).

Of particular note locally, were 'trees down at Flixton, the A12 Hollingsworth Road at Gunton - which was quickly dealt with - and calls along with Norfolk police to St Olaves and Haddiscoe,' the police spokesman said.

'A single decker bus crashed into a tree that had fallen down in front of them at 1.30am this morning on the A12 at Blythburgh. 'No-one was seriously hurt - several people were in shock and suffered minor injuries.

'The East of England Ambulance Service were called and the bus pulled into a lay-by as the scene was cleared by 2.30am,' the police spokesman added.

A Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service spokesman added that fire control received 'a high volume of emergency calls for assistance' across Suffolk overnight, mainly due to the high winds - with the gusts expected to reach 55mph.

'Residents are once again advised not to travel unless absolutely necessary and if you are venturing out please allow extra time for your journey and take care,' a Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said.

• For further updates, be sure to buy tomorrow's Lowestoft Journal.