Panic buying is occurring in the Channel Islands due to a red warning issued by forecasters in the arrival of Storm Ciarán, which is expected to bring extremely severe weather with force 11 winds.

Weather warnings in the form of amber and red alerts have been issued to alert residents about the impending fierce storm.The impact of Storm Ciarán has resulted in thousands of homes losing power, and numerous schools have been forced to close as the storm causes disruption across southern England.

Supermarket shelves have been left bare after shoppers rushed to stock up on essentials ahead of Storm Ciarán hitting the Channel Islands.

Retail bosses have previously reassured residents of the resilience of their supply chain, but the islands' commercial ferry operator warned there would be no sailings for a week.

Condor Ferries' are responsible for bringing freight to the Channel Islands from the UK or France.

The company says it is "evaluating options" to ensure food and medical supplies can continue to reach the islands.

It comes as government officials have urged people not to stockpile goods and to "be mindful of ensuring that stores are able to provide for all immediate needs".

Meanwhile, a tornado warning was issued by the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO), which said the highest risk of a tornado would be across South Wales to London.

Flights have also been grounded, with train services disrupted and major incidents declared in parts of the UK as the storm makes landfall.

Southeastern railway warned commuters not to travel before 9am, saying that severe disruption was highly likely throughout Thursday.

Although the worst of the wind had abated by Thursday lunchtime, the Environment Agency warned that floods could follow, with so much rain falling on already saturated ground. By 5pm on Thursday, the agency had issued 82 flood warnings for England and 198 flood alerts. Natural Resources Wales said river levels in the far south-west of the country could be the highest ever recorded.

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