Storm Eunice: Winds cause car windows to 'explode' in Southend

Mark Burden, 63, had made the journey to Southend from his home in Colchester on Friday to visit a client.

He had parked his Ford Focus and was walking towards the customer’s home when he heard a loud bang.

Mark’s wife Mandy said: “He heard this bang and the side glass windows had blown out, and the rear quarterlight had shattered.

“He said it was just a freak gust of wind.

“My husband said the car next to him had its back window blown out too.

“Luckily he wasn’t in the car at the time. It’s always a bit of a dangerous road anyway, the A12, but he had to go to work."

She joked: "I just said I’m glad he didn’t take my car.”

Mark then faced a chilly journey back to Colchester.

Winds of up to 70mph battered the county yesterday afternoon.

A red weather warning was in place, with experts warning of a risk to life posed by the intense winds. 

There were reports of numerous fallen trees, damage to roofs and crashes in Essex.

Emergency services dealt with a high volume of incidents.

READ MORE: Storm Eunice clear-up begins in Essex amid 'unsettled weather'

Mandy added: “He phoned me up and asked how may day was, and he said ‘well, it can’t be as bad as mine’.

“He said ‘my window’s blown out’, I asked ‘where are you?’ and he said ‘I’m on my way home’.

“He said he was a bit cold, had the heating on and his coat.”

The winds blew the windows out on one side

Mandy checked the car when her husband arrived home, finding the glass shattered.

The couple will have to fork out for the repair bill.

“He was on to his insurer last night but I said to him what annoys me is that’s a freak of nature, no-one else was involved so we have to pay off the excess,” she said.