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Workers make the most of the torrential downpours and gusty winds to extend their Christmas break. Train stations, underground platforms and city centre streets deserted as rush hour hits. On what is traditionally the first normal trading day after Christmas, Britain faces shutdown. Before the storm hit analysts had predicted £2.97billion could be spent on the High Street and online today.

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By. Lizzie Parry. PUBLISHED:. 07:13 EST, 27 December 2013. |. UPDATED:. 11:49 EST, 27 December 2013. Millions of people are marooned at home today as Britain faces near shutdown amid another barrage of stormy weather. Families have battened down the hatches, seeking shelter as 109mph winds batter the country, and landslides and flooding cause chaos in many parts of the country. On what is the traditionally the first normal trading day after Christmas, workers have been forced to take advantage of the torrential rain and gusty winds, extending their festive break into the weekend. The normally bustling streets of London at rush hour this morning, were instead deserted as millions of people chose to stay at home in the midst of another storm sweeping across the country. Hundreds of thousands of workers have taken advantage of the torrential rain and gale force winds, opting to stay at home rather than brave the adverse weather conditions. London's Embankment at rush hour resembled the the normal scene in the early hours of the morning, with no traffic or pedestrians lining the normally busy route. Underground stations in London were left deserted, train stations normally brimming with commuters, and roads usually full of queuing traffic lay empty as 8am hit and the rush hour got underway. The normal weekday mayhem gave way to empty Tube carriages and train platforms, resembling scenes from the early hours of the morning rather than peak travel time. The High Street is expected to feel the impact, as hundreds of thousands of bargain hunters opt to search for the best deals online rather than brave the storm of the post-Christmas sales. Analysts predict £2.97billion will be spent on the High Street and online today. That figure would be a record for retail spending in the UK, according to the British Retail Consortium and the Centre for Retail Research, which showed £.28billion was made on December 21 and 27 last year. Martin Ashfield, Head of Commercial Property Claims at AXA said the severe weather will have 'unfortunate' consequences for smaller businesses in particular. He said with many businesses closed for the festive period, it is difficult to predict the total cost of the damage. He said: 'Severe weather invariably has an unfortunate detrimental impact on business - and small businesses which do not have the same capacity on the balance sheet as their larger counterparts to absorb weather-related shocks often find themselves at the sharp end of these events. Westminster underground station was virtually empty during this morning's rush hour, as workers took the opportunity to extend their Christmas break. Southeastern Trains, which operates the rail network in Kent, cancelled all its services this morning into London Victoria, where a lone passenger is pictured above. Waterloo Station in London was among those free from the usual commuter chaos today as hundreds of rail services in and out of the capital were affected by the severe weather. 'Having adequate property insurance. is only part of the issue as many smaller companies often under-estimate. how long it takes to get back to trading after a serious flood - that. is something that business interruption insurance will take care of.‎. 'There. is never a good time to be flooded but when many businesses have. increased stock levels to cater for the January retail sales and extra. demand over the festive period, the impact can be much higher. 'However,. with many businesses closed for the holiday period, it is too early to. be able to assess the extent of the damage at this stage.' Torrential. downpours and gales sweeping in from the Atlantic have wrought havoc on. the country's rail network with many train operators cancelling all. services. Around 100,000 families were today stacking the sandbags and salvaging their belongings as the Met Office issued another swathe of yellow and amber weather warnings, indicating the prospect of severe or hazardous' conditions with potential to cause 'danger to life' and widespread disruption. The fresh band of stormy weather is heading east across the UK, with northern England and Wales expected to be among the worst hit areas, the Met Office said. Southeastern Trains, which operates the network in Kent, was forced to cancel all services this morning. Most other operators are warning passengers to expect severe delays as speed restrictions are imposed. Regent's Street, one of the most popular shopping destinations for people living and visiting the capital, is partially closed after high winds dislodged Christmas decorations hanging high above the heads of the post-Christmas sales bargain hunters. At London's Victoria station the usually bustling barriers were cordoned off today as the majority of train stations into the rail hub were cancelled in the storm. The scene at Waterloo station mimicked that at Victoria, with very few people making it to the station's concourse.