UK storms: Mother killed by falling masonry named

A mother-of-three who died when falling masonry hit her taxi has been named.

Julie Sillitoe, 49, was one of two people killed on Friday as strong winds and heavy rain hit southern England, adding to problems already caused by widespread storms and flooding.

An 85-year-old man died after a freak wave hit a British cruise ship in the English Channel.

More than 65,000 homes remain without power and severe weather warnings are in place for much of the UK.

Prime Minister David Cameron chaired the government's emergency committee, Cobra, on Saturday.

Mrs Sillitoe, from north London, died after her minicab was crushed when part of a building collapsed on to it at about 23:00 GMT on Friday, near Holborn Underground station, in central London.

Her next of kin have been informed. Her passengers, a 25-year-old man and 24-year-old woman, were taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Elsewhere an 85-year-old man died after waves crashed through a window of the cruise ship, MS Marco Polo, as it headed for its home port of Tilbury in Essex.

He and a woman in her 70s had been airlifted off the ship but he later died.

Meanwhile a third storm victim Bob Thomas, 77, died in hospital on Friday, two days after he was hit by a falling tree in his garden in Caernarfon, north-west Wales.

Speaking after Saturday's Cobra meeting, the prime minister warned flood levels would remain "very high" and in many places would continue to rise, despite an improved weather forecast.

"I was reassured that all the agencies involved - thousands of people locally and nationally - have made huge efforts over last few days to protect more homes and businesses, with over 3,000 of our troops deployed on task tonight and many hundreds more on standby".

Tim Field, from the Energy Networks Association, said engineers will be working through the night in a bid to reconnect homes without power. He warned some will still be without power on Sunday.

UK 'sleepwalking'

In an interview with the Observer, Labour leader Ed Miliband said the events of recent weeks showed climate change was a "national security issue" for the UK.

He said Labour had warned climate change could destabilise "entire regions of the world" and now Britain's homes, businesses and livelihoods were "under attack".

"The science is clear. The public know there is a problem. But, because of political division in Westminster, we are sleepwalking into a national security crisis on climate change," he said.

BBC weather presenter Susan Powell said parts of the UK could expect a "breather" on Saturday night and she expected next week's wet weather to be much less "aggressive".

A yellow "be aware" weather warnings of icy driving conditions will be in effect until 10:00 GMT on Sunday for most of the UK as temperatures drop.