BRITAIN was this morning counting the cost of the worst storms in a decade - and experts warned this was just the start of things to come.

At least three people died and insurers estimated the cost of the damage would run into hundreds of millions of pounds.

Rail passengers, already hit by severe delays following the Hatfield crash, were plunged into further misery as the national network was thrown into chaos.

GNER cancelled all of its services between London and the North-East after overhead power lines were damaged and high winds blew obstacles, including a warehouse roof and a portable cabin, onto the track.

The Environment Agency issued widespread flood warnings after one-and-a-half inches of rain, half the entire monthly average, fell in the North-East in only six hours yesterday.

Meteorologists warned that the storm was just a taste of things to come, with increasingly bizarre weather predicted for Britain because of global warming.

The country has already been rocked by more tornados in the past ten months than in an average year.

Dr John Mitchell, the Meteorological Office's head of climate research, said: "A warmer, wetter atmosphere could lead to more thunderstorms with a higher chance of tornados."

Friends of the Earth said urgent action had to be taken to curb global warming having an increasingly devastating effect.

FoE climate expert Roger Higman said: "The storms and floods we are now seeing will get more frequent and more severe. We desperately need cuts in the use of coal, oil and gas to prevent the worst forecasts coming true."

Environment Minister Michael Meacher said it would be wrong to blame every bout of severe weather on global warming.

But he said the gales "almost certainly have climate change as a contributory cause.

"Already it is the case that a lot of these climatic impacts are irreversible. We have to adapt to them."

Worst effected by the most severe storms in a decade was Wales and southern England, where three inches of rain fell in 24 hours and winds gusted up to 90mph.

A tornado at Selsey, in West Sussex, tossed caravans into the air, less than 48 hours after a twister devastated parts of Bognor Regis.

The North-East and North Yorkshire escaped the worst of the wind, with gusts reaching 40mph.

However, with temperatures reaching only five degrees Celsius - half the average for this time of year - there was widespread snowfall across County Durham and North Yorkshire

Homes in Skinningrove in East Cleveland were hit by floods for the second time in three months and pensioners at Howden-le-Wear, County Durham, had to be evacuated after their estate was threatened by rising water levels.

The A66 was closed by snow between Scotch Corner and Stainmoor, and floods shut the A167 near Ferryhill, the A68 at West Auckland and the A174 between Guisborough and Whitby.

The Environment Agency last night issued a severe flood warning on the river Ouse at Naburn and Acaster Malbis, near York, which is expected to peak at 4.6 metres above normal just after 9am today.

Flood warnings were also issued on the Derwent at Norton, Pickering Beck, the Ure near Boroughbridge, the Leven at Great Ayton and the Swale and Wiske at Kirby Wiske, near Thirsk.

Thousands of rail passengers were left stranded in London as all services to the North-East were cancelled. GNER trains from Scotland could go only as far as York.

Virgin trains between the North-East and the South-West were heavily disrupted, with the first service leaving Birmingham for Edinburgh, via Darlington and Newcastle, at 3.30pm.

Northern Spirit cancelled services between Middlesbrough and Whitby.

Flights from Newcastle Airport were also disrupted.

Sporting fixtures were badly hit, with yesterday's race meeting at Redcar cancelled, as well as today's meeting at Catterick