A weather warning put in place across the whole of the country ahead of Storm Ciara has been upgraded from yellow to amber.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders, said: “Storm Ciara will bring damaging winds and heavy rain across the UK this weekend and we have issued a range of severe weather warnings giving people time to prepare for potential impacts of the storm.
“Winds will increase through Saturday across Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England and Wales, before turning very windy across the rest of UK through the early hours of Sunday morning. Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are expected quite widely across inland areas, with even stronger gusts of 80mph or higher along coastal areas.”
The Met Office warning people that they should expect:
- Flying debris which could lead to injuries or danger to life
- Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs
- Longer journey times and cancellations as road, rail, air and ferry services are affected
- Some roads and bridges will likely be closed
- Power cuts with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
- Injuries and danger to life from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.
Highways England are also warning road users to check the weather forecast and road conditions before they travel today (Saturday February 8) as well as tomorrow.
They have said they are working closely with the Met Office to monitor the weather conditions, and have issued a Severe Weather Alert for gales across the entire Highways England network.
Anyone planning to drive during the windy conditions should take extra care when travelling and to allow extra time to complete journeys.
People are also advised to consider whether or not the journey is necessary before setting out, keeping up to date with the latest forecast and road conditions.
