Winds of more than 80mph ripped through Britain today as police warned travellers to use "extreme caution" amid fears of heavy delays.

Trees have been uprooted and buildings damaged across the country, with the emergency services bracing themselves.

A spokeswoman said: "Today's weather conditions are causing major problems for motorists.

"The AA is set for their busiest day of the year so far and is predicting total call-out numbers of over 16,000 (compared to 9,500 on an average day).

"Though London and Glasgow are seeing the highest levels of call-outs, the rates are considerably increased across the country as a whole.

"As well as breakdowns, the AA is being called on to deal with cars damaged by falling branches and other debris and affected by localised flooding.

"The AA is warning drivers to slow down and take extra care on the roads. Drivers will seriously endanger themselves and other motorists if they underestimate the power of wind gusts and drive too fast.

"A 60mph gust creates four times the force of a 30mph wind and, with rain and spray off the road, driving at speed could be perilous for unwary drivers."

A tanker with 13 crew on board was in trouble off the Isle of Wight in stormy conditions, Coastguards said.

The Swedish vessel, bound for Fawley, Hampshire, was dragging anchor off the coast near Bembridge.

"We have got two tugs proceeding to her to help her out and get her back to anchor and hold her there off the shore," said Solent Coastguard watch officer Geoff Matthews.

"We are going to keep the crew on board and keep the ship afloat.

"We won't take the crew off until absolutely necessary."

The highest recorded wind speed so far is 82mph in Berry Head in Brixham, south Devon, while the Needles off the coast of the Isle of Wight experienced gusts of 70mph.

The winds were making their way towards London this morning, with Heathrow being buffeted by 42mph winds. In other parts of the country the east coast of Northern Ireland hit 63mph, it was 49mph in Crosby in Merseyside and 46mph in Birmingham.

Police in Devon & Cornwall, South Wales and Dorset, the areas most severely hit overnight, said there had been no major incidents.

But all reported that trees have been uprooted on roads and rail lines and warned of the danger to morning commuters. In Lytchett Matravers near Poole in Dorset a tree came down on a house, but there are no reports of any injuries.

Inspector Mike Kynaston of Dorset Police warned people to make only "essential" journeys.

He said: "Unless your journey is absolutely essential I would not travel, and if you are travelling do so with extreme caution."

The Environment Agency currently has seven severe flood warnings in force, 48 flood warnings and 53 flood watches.

In Scotland winds of up to 70mph were hitting parts of the country with heavy rain battering some of the most populated areas as people return to work after the weekend.

The Met Office has put severe weather warnings in place for central Scotland but it is hoped Scotland will miss out on the very worst of the bad weather.

Forecaster Brendan Jones of Meteogroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said exposed coastal areas, such as those in Dumfries and Galloway and Argyll and Bute, would see gusts of 60-70mph.

As the day goes on, the strong winds were due to move north across the rest of the country.

The Aberdeenshire coast was expected to see winds of 60mph, while gusts of 50mph may be felt in Inverness.

The unsettled weather is being blamed on a band of exceptionally low pressure, which will also lead to severe rain for much of the country.

Mr Jones predicted the worst of the downpours would hit southern Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, around the time of the morning rush hour.

The rain will move northwards as the day progresses, and snow is likely to settle on higher ground above 200 metres.

Mr Jones said: "It will be a very wet start for Glasgow and Edinburgh, down to Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders.

"The heaviest rain will just be arriving in Glasgow close to rush hour tomorrow. It's a similar picture in Edinburgh too.

"The ski areas will certainly see a lot of snow, but it won't be fit for skiing at that particular time.

"It's not really a day for walking in the Highlands. There will be a lot of snow, and if there's no snow, it'll be pouring with rain.

"In general, inland areas will see gusts of 40-50mph, but a lot of the exposed coasts could be seeing speeds of 60mph, possibly 70mph."

He did not rule out the risk of flooding in some coastal places, but said the high winds were not expected to coincide with the high tides.

And he warned Scotland could be in line for more bad weather by the middle of the week.

He added: "We're still keeping our eye out on Wednesday, because there's another big low coming in."