Hundreds of schools have announced closure for pupils and staff on Thursday as storms batter the south of the UK.
The Met Office has warned of a danger to life from Storm Ciaran, which is forecast to bring winds of 80mph and has already caused torrential rain and flooding in some areas.
Pupils of more than 220 schools in Devon will have to stay at home. In Cornwall, 22 schools have also said they will not open, and more are expected to follow suit. Some are planning to open late, at either 10am or 11am.
Follow the latest updates here on the UK storm
Major incidents have been declared in Hampshire on the south coast, as well as on the nearby Isle of Wight and the island of Jersey.
Some schools in the path of the storm in Southampton and the southwest will not open, and Jersey has announced the closure of all schools to protect pupils and staff.
Two amber wind warnings, the second-highest level of alert, are in place for parts of the south coast of England for when Storm Ciaran hits on Thursday, together with further yellow rain warnings, which means some disruption could be on the way.
People have been told to stay away from the coast amid high winds and lashing waves— (REUTERS)
The Met Office predicted Storm Ciaran would bring winds of 75mph to 85mph, with 65mph to 75mph gusts inland. Spokesman Oli Claydon said coastal gusts would reach up to 80mph, with the potential for 85mph.
People are being urged not to go near the water’s edge because of “very dangerous conditions”.
An amber warning is in place from 3am to 11am on Thursday in Cornwall and Devon. Across the south coast, the amber warning runs from 6am to 5pm.
A red wind warning, the highest level, was issued by Jersey Met for Wednesday evening into Thursday, meaning residents are being warned to avoid being outside due to predicted gusts of almost 100mph.
A yellow warning for rain is also in place from 6am on Thursday to 6am on Friday for northeast England and Scotland stretching up to Inverness.
Train operators have warned travellers to expect disruption with Southern Railway, ThamesLink and Gatwick Express urging commuters to work from home.
People are also being urged by the Environment Agency to prepare for “possible significant flooding” across parts of England until Friday.
Mobile barriers at Exeter, Devon, which are part of the flood defence scheme, are being deployed, and temporary barriers are already in place or ready to be installed along the River Severn.
The Environment Agency had issued 24 flood warnings for England by 11am on Wednesday morning, with 116 flood alerts.
The list of Devon schools closing is here, and Cornwall schools here.
Hampshire county council has a list of dozens of schools closing here.
They include more than 50 schools in the Southampton area, and four schools on the Isle of Wight. Portsmouth city council said schools would contact parents directly if they were closing.
