An electrical wind warning has been issued for large parts of the UK, with power cuts and flying debris possible amid the arrival of Storm Darragh, the fourth storm of the season.
Darragh is expected to bring gusts to 80mph and heavy rain late Friday and into Saturday.
A warning of potentially damaging winds is in place on Saturday from 3am until 9pm for the west coast of Britain from south Ayrshire in Scotland to Cornwallnor in Northern Ireland.
The Met Office also issued a yellow warning for wind and rain on Thursday for parts of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England, with warnings to cover the north-east and south on Friday.
Flying objects could cause injury or life-threatening damage while buildings are damaged, such as tiles blown off roofs, the Met Office said. Power cuts and high tides should be expected, and some roads and bridges will be closed, with falling trees posing an additional hazard.
National Highways, which runs the UK’s motorways and busiest roads, has issued a severe storm warning for Saturday and motorists in the west and north-south to the west and south-west have been advised to prepare helmets for the force of the winds.
He said roads affected by the strongest winds include the M5 in North Somerset, the A30 in Cornwall and the M6 in Cheshire.
Heavy winds are already affecting travel in parts of the country with the M48 Severn Bridge in Gloucestershire closed on Thursday due to stormy weather.
Rhondda Cynon Taf, where between 200 and 300 properties were flooded in Storm Bert last month, was forecast to be hit by heavy rain again. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has issued more than 30 flood alerts and warnings, while the Environment Agency (EA) of England put more than 20 red flood warnings in place, meaning flooding is expected and that residents and property owners should “act now”.
Simon Partridge, chief executive of the Met Office, said conditions would be “very dangerous” especially around coastal areas. He said: “Unless you really need to go out this Saturday, it’s best to avoid it, especially if you’re in any of these areas covered by the amber wind warning.
Winds of 70 mph are dangerous and, as the warnings suggest, we could see a risk to life from that. We have some very fascinating weather threats ahead. Amber warnings are usually for small areas, but because of the path of the storm, this will affect a really large part of the UK.”
Warnings are sent from low pressure areas to Britain via the jet stream (flows of winds propelled high in the atmosphere). In the middle of the river, jet speeds are expected to top 240mph, driven by cold air across the northern US and Canada.
Storm Darragh was named by the Met Office on Thursday morning. The names run in alphabetical order, starting this time with Ashley, Bert and Conall.
Last week, the questions above a . they were moved Not enough warnings Flooding after Storm Bert has wreaked havoc in parts of south Wales and west England after Storm Bert, as months of rain lash towns and villages.
Extreme rainfall is more common and more intense due to the breakdown of the climate caused by most of the world. The reason for this is that warmer air can hold more water vapor.
Floods in these areas have consequently become more frequent and severe, but they are also affected by other factors, such as the existence of flood defenses and land use.