National Wind Watch: Wind Energy News » Storm Callum sends wind turbine crashing into field where prize-winning horses graze

Storm Callum has smashed a wind turbine into pieces sending bits of it crashing into a field where it “traumatised” a couple’s prize-winning horses.

Janet and David Nicholls of Bellevue Farm had a neighbour’s wind turbine break in the high winds and land in their field where several show horses were grazing

Janet Nicholls said bits of fibreglass and a huge blade from the machine came crashing down into the field where five of her and her husband David’s nine horses were grazing.

The collapse was part of mass devastation across Cornwall after forecasters sent out warnings that Callum would bring a danger to life. There were also warning of potential flooding in coastal areas as freak high tides came in.

Janet, 75, said she was first alerted to the danger when a tenant of a mobile home on her land at their remote farm at Carnkie, near Wendron, heard it collapse.

She said: “The first I knew was one of the chaps heard it going and told us. We walked across the field and saw the chaos.

“Normally they switch themselves off in high winds but it didn’t. It was making a hell of a noise this morning and I said to my husband, ‘something is going to happen’.

Janet and David, 76, immediately checked on their horses, which have won prizes at the Royal Cornwall Show, Devon County Show and Royal Welsh Show.

“There were five in the field at the time,” she added. “One is 31 years old. We’ve checked them and they’re alright but were a bit traumatised – you would be too.

“Part of the machine still looks like it’s going to fall off. It’s been there four or five years.

“But it’s all come down on my land. We had to go and move all the animals out of the field. It’s covered in fibreglass. There’s a blade off of the windmill across the centre of it.”

Storm Callum blew on Friday morning (October 12) and has caused chaos across the region with torrential rain and winds of up to 75mph. Across Cornwall it has brought down trees which have affected traffic and train services, cut off power to hundreds of homes and forced events to be cancelled, including the popular Falmouth Oyster Festival. The atrocious conditions meant flights were also cancelled at Cornwall Airport Newquay.

At one point Devon and Cornwall Police were dealing with nearly 100 incidents caused by the storm in Cornwall.

The conditions then brought chaos to Cornwall’s roads during the evening rush hour.

Drivers have been warned to take extra care on major roads, including the A30, and would-be wave watchers have advised to stay away from the coast as the experts said the storm is set to last another 36 hours. It will be followed by the remnants of hurricane Michael, which will affect Cornwall on Tuesday (October 16).