Strong winds and heavy rain are set to batter the UK as Agnes, the first named storm of the season, sweeps across the country this week.
The Met Office has issued a danger to life warning for Wednesday and Thursday, covering large swathes of the country. Gale force winds could result in travel disruption, damage to buildings and even power cuts, the forecaster has warned.
Met Office chief meteorologist Steve Ramsdale said: “While the precise track and depth of Storm Agnes is still being determined, there’s a high likelihood of wind gusts around 50 to 60mph for some inland areas. Exposed coastal areas could see gusts of 65-75mph with a small chance of a few places seeing around 80mph.”
He added that around 60mm of rain would be possible in a few areas of high ground in Scotland.
Storm Agnes follows a week of heavy downpours in parts of the UK. Britain was hit by the remnants of two hurricanes, Lee and Nigel, dumping large amounts of rain that led to flooding in London and other parts of the country.