UK braces for 75mph winds and heavy rain after Met Office issues weather warning
The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for large parts of England due to high winds and heavy rain.
Forecasters have warned that eastern parts of England will be hit with wind gusts of up to 75 miles per hour on Thursday; this wind can trigger power outages and pose a “hazard to life” due to large waves and beach materials being thrown onto sea frontages, coastal roads and properties.
The Met Office warned: “Generally gusts of 45 to 55 mph can be expected, with 65 mph possible near the coast. Very locally for a while, this is most likely in the late morning and afternoon with 65 to 75 mph winds less likely to occur.”
The Met Office recommends checking loose items outside the home, such as bins, garden furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds and fences, to prevent injuries from flying debris or property damage.
The yellow warning for wind extends from midnight to 9pm from Brighton, London, Oxfordshire and Norwich to Hull and York.
A separate weather warning for winds of up to 60mph for parts of Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and West Wales, including Swansea, Pembrokeshire and Anglesey, was also issued by the Met Office between 4am and 6pm on Thursday.
The Met Office has warned that flooding of homes and businesses could also occur in parts of the south and east of England and south Wales.
Some areas, particularly the South West, could see up to 50mm of rain on Thursday morning, forecasters said.
“There is a small chance of a few places exceeding this, most likely over North Devon and Cornwall and more generally to the east of the highlighted area,” the Met Office said.
“Conditions are expected to become windy and stormy, initially along the south and east coasts, but more widely across southern Britain during the day on Thursday.”
The yellow weather warning for heavy rain covers Cornwall and Devon in the South West, south Wales including Swansea and Cardiff, large parts of the Midlands, the North East including Darlington and the South East as far as Kent.
If road, rail, airline and ferry services are affected, strong winds and rain may cause travel disruptions such as extended journey times or cancellations.
It comes after Storm Amy caused widespread disruption across the UK and Ireland earlier this month, leaving thousands of homes without power and prompting the closure of parks, rail lines and ferry routes as winds of up to 100mph hit parts of the country.
Five day weather forecast in England
Tuesday:
A sunny day with intermittent showers. Showers will be heaviest and most frequent in the North West, where it will also be quite windy. It feels nice during sunny periods, especially towards the Southeast where temperatures will be above average.
Tuesday night:
It dries clearly mostly during the evening and overnight. A few showers are still possible, mostly towards the North West. The weather is getting colder, some areas of fog and mist are forming.
Wednesday:
The clearing of fog and mist areas leaves a dry day with sunshine and only a few showers for many. Wet and windy weather prevails in the South West in the afternoons.
From Thursday to Saturday:
Potentially rainy and very windy on Thursday, but on Friday it will be sunny and showery. Colder and scattered showers on Saturday, wintry over the Scottish highlands.
