Strong winds, rain hit Britain

LONDON, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Strong winds and rain hit parts of Britain Sunday night and Monday morning.

Emergency services said strong winds brought down trees and power lines in south-western England, blocking several roads. High winds have left 4,000 homes in the area and some 3,000 in Wales without power.

Near Newport, South Wales, 170 people were forced to evacuate a caravan park overnight.

British Airways cancelled 34 short haul and domestic flights from Heathrow Airport Sunday night due to the bad weather. Both Heathrow and Gatwick airports advised travelers to check with airlines before leaving home.

There is severe disruption to South West Trains' London services.

The country's meteorological office issued weather warnings Sunday, predicting high winds of almost 130 km/h, as well as rain and flooding along the Devon and Cornwall coast. Meanwhile, forecasters said central Scotland could see blizzards.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and senior government officials called an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the threat from the storm and check if local authorities were prepared for the floods.

Last November, record-high tides hit east England, flooding properties and roads along the coast.