Storm Gerrit: Thousands lose power as 85mph winds hit Wales

Tens of thousands of homes in Wales had their power knocked out by a lightning strike on Thursday.

National Grid said 36,000 properties were left without electricity in Ceredigion after part of its network suffered a direct strike.

It said all affected customers had power restored by 12:30 GMT after it went down at 12:06.

Separately, hundreds of other homes were left without power after Storm Gerrit battered much of the country.

Gusts of up to 85mph (137 km/h) were recorded in Capel Curig, Conwy, overnight.

National Grid said about 130 properties were without power in south Wales at 22:30, with Scottish Power reporting outages across much of north Wales earlier on Thursday.

Outages were reported in Anglesey, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Conwy, Gwynedd, Ceredigion, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Neath Port Talbot, Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Newport, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire earlier on Thursday.

On Thursday afternoon ferry operator Stena Line cancelled all routes between Fishguard, Pembrokeshire, and Rosslare in Ireland due to bad weather.

High winds closed the M48 Severn Bridge in both directions.

Evac Cardiff, which works with Cardiff Council, said Mermaid Quay board walk in Cardiff Bay, which was closed on Wednesday because of high river levels, would reopen on Thursday morning.

In Aberystwyth, firefighters said the Wellington monument was damaged at about 13:30.

Mid and West Wales fire service added large stones were dislodged at the 18m (59ft) tower and the situation was "precarious".

The A484 has reopened after being closed at Cenarth, Ceredigion, due to a fallen tree.

Buses replaced trains between Aberdare and Abercynon due to flooding on the track but services there have returned to normal.

On Wednesday, travel across Wales was highly disrupted, with trains cancelled, roads closed and flood warnings in place.