Storm Darragh has ripped the roof off a church in Wales.

Pentre Chapel, in the village of Mochdre near Powys, had its roof destroyed on Saturday morning after a red weather alert was put in place for England and Wales.

Restoration efforts have so far been coordinated by Jonathan Rees, of the Mochdre and Penstrowed farmers’ club.

He told Wales Online: “The Pentre community is devastated this morning to see such a much-loved place of fellowship destroyed by Storm Darragh. Much of the community have been turning up to see if we could salvage the pews and other items of concern.”

Yet he also suggested that transforming the 170-year-old building could be a blessing in disguise.

“We believe that God works in mysterious ways. The building was not perfect and had no disabled access.

“We could end up with a better place to carry out our worship.”

First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan – who has a Christian faith – thanked the efforts of emergency services across the country, and said: “When you have a storm of this strength, you have to just accept what nature throws at you.”

She released a statement saying: “Work is ongoing to restore power to homes and re-open parts of the transport network, and our thoughts are with people who have suffered damage to their property and possessions from the storm.

“Many warnings and alerts remain in place, in particular around rivers, and people should be vigilant as the effects of Storm Darragh may be felt for some days yet.”