Latest: Crew rescued after Cargo ship takes on water amid Storm Angus

Update 6pm: Eleven crew members have been evacuated after the Saga Sky cargo ship took on water off the English coast today.

She is now in a safe anchorage at Dungeness.

Earlier: At least five crew members have been evacuated from a cargo ship which got into difficulty off the coast of Dover, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said.

The 200-metre vessel is taking on water after hitting a barge - and evacuations are ongoing to rescue some of the crew.

Storm Angus, the first named storm of the season, caused flooding and chaos for emergency services when it hit the UK with gusts anticipated to reach up to 80mph.

Winds on the south coast were recorded at up to 68mph this morning and a gust battered Guernsey at 84mph.

The storm will push north throughout the morning with the winds expected to peak in south-east England at around 11am.

The Environment Agency has issued 23 flood warnings, which mean flooding is expected.

The majority of the alerts cover south-west England, while there are also some for Wales and south-eastern parts.

Winds hindered firefighters' efforts to extinguish a "major fire" in a building on Bognor seafront in West Sussex after they were called at around 3.45am.

A takeaway and a disused nightclub suffered extensive damage and 30 residents were evacuated from neighbouring flats.

Adrian Murphy, of the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: "This incident has taken place in the midst of a major storm and it was difficult to stand when we arrived on the seafront."

Devon and Cornwall Police declared a "major incident" at 4.15am and evacuated a residential park when rain caused the River Mole to burst its banks.

The water flowed through the Mill on the Mole chalet park in South Molton, Devon, and at its peak was 4ft deep, the force said.

Just over an hour after the incident was declared the rain stopped, the flood subsided "very rapidly" and residents were allowed to return home.

And scaffolding crushed a car when it was blown from a home in Brighton, East Sussex.

The UK Met Office issued an amber "be prepared" warning from the Isle of Wight to Kent and advised to prepare for travel disruption, possible power cuts, damage to buildings, flooding and debris from trees.

A yellow "be aware" warning was issued for all parts of the country south of the M4 with gusts of up to 65mph expected in other coastal areas.

The highest recorded rainfall was of more than two inches (54mm) in Exeter, Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge said.

Forecasters predicted the storm will move off quite quickly into the North Sea towards Europe, with conditions set to improve from around midday Sunday.

However, further wind and rain, which is expected to move north across England and Wales on Monday, could bring more flooding.

Northern areas can expect more chilly weather with fairly light winds and clear skies.

Drivers crossing the Pennines were confronted with a covering of snow at high levels but all main routes remained open.

Winter wonderland scenes greeted walkers above 1,000ft (305m) in areas of the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, with some light snow showers hitting lower ground in West Yorkshire.

Further north, Durham Police tweeted: "A66, Bowes to Cumbria, snow on both carriageways, slow moving but passable with care. Gritters hard at work."

Braemar in Aberdeenshire dropped to -8C (17.6F) on Friday night, with sheltered areas in Scotland set to plummet as low as -10C (14F) overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning.

Anyone experiencing problems with their power network during the storm can contact 105 for further information and advice, or visit powercut105.com.