Heavy rain and 60mph winds are expected to batter the UK and cause transport disruption on Wednesday evening, the Met Office has warned.
A yellow weather warning issued by the forecaster is in place until 2pm on Wednesday, covering parts of the East Midlands, north-east and western England, Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders and Yorkshire and the Humber, with gusts of up to 60mph possible in some areas.
The wind could create “difficult travel conditions” with delays possible to road, rail and air services, the weather service warned.
Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said Wednesday was off to a wet and windy start, with heavy showers and “lively conditions” expected during the evening rush hour.
She said: “This rain across the central swathe of the country tends to fizzle out as we head through to around mid-morning, late morning, the cloud then breaks up.
“We could even see some showers move in on this cold north-west wind as more cloud thickens from the South West, and this could bring some outbreaks of rain which could turn heavy as we head through into evening rush hour, certainly for the likes of Plymouth, Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, even Liverpool and Manchester.”
⚠️ Yellow weather warning UPDATED ⚠️
— Met Office (@metoffice) December 18, 2024
Strong winds across west Wales and northwest England
NOW – 0900
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfS950
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/8NQWuxHvVQ
The winds will pick up in southern England on Wednesday evening as well, she added.
Motorists faced disruption on Wednesday morning as the M48 Severn Bridge was closed in both directions because of strong winds, with traffic diverted to the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.
The Humber Bridge, which links Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on the A15, was also closed to high-sided vehicles and caravans, with all other users subject to a 30mph speed restriction.
Traffic update: Strong winds - We are closed to high-sided vehicles and wind vulnerable vehicles. 30MPH restriction
— Humber Bridge News (@HumBridgeNews) December 18, 2024
The Bridge Status can be checked 24/7 at: https://t.co/hGpAujoAsb. pic.twitter.com/CQtcCtNoFy
CalMac ferries, which serves the west coast of Scotland, said services were subject to disruption because of the weather.
National Rail warned that strong winds could “severely” impact train journeys and that travellers in northern England and southern Scotland may be impacted in particular.
Trains between Glasgow Queen Street and Mallaig will be travelling at a reduced speed for safety purposes which is expected to continue until 12pm, according to the passenger information website.
🌧️🌬️ Strong winds and heavy rain are forecast for tonight and into tomorrow morning, especially across western Scotland. Remember to check your journey and plan ahead before travelling. 🛤️ pic.twitter.com/h8r11rNdQC
— Network Rail Scotland (@NetworkRailSCOT) December 17, 2024
The latest warnings come as many communities recover from the devastating effects of Storm Darragh earlier this month.
The fourth named storm of the season saw millions warned to stay indoors, tens of thousands left without power and trains cancelled.
Two men were killed during the storm by falling trees hitting their vehicles.
Highs of 14C are expected on Wednesday in London and Plymouth, with lows of 6C in northern Scotland, including Inverness and Fort William, according to the Met Office.
