“Danger to life” weather warnings are in place as Storm Bram brings heavy rainfall and strong winds to parts of the UK.
The Met Office has put out an alert for areas of Scotland, Wales, and southwest England, with treacherous conditions expected throughout today and into tomorrow morning.
“Storm Bram will bring a very wet and windy spell of weather, with very strong winds and further heavy rain,” advised chief forecaster Dan Suri.
Check the forecast where you are
Northwest Scotland is expected to bear the worst of the weather, with an amber warning issued for “very strong and disruptive winds” – potentially upwards of 90mph.
Sky News meteorologist Dr Christopher England warned many areas could face disruption from “damaging gusts”.
“It only takes one tree falling in the wrong place at the wrong time to have a significant impact,” he said.
Check before you travel
Damage to buildings and homes, travel disruption, flooding, and power cuts are all possible.
Those covered by the amber alert – mainly in the Highlands and Eilean Siar – should protect their property and people from injury by checking for loose items outside their home and securing them, the Met Office said.
Travel disruption is likely, with roads, bridges, and railway lines all vulnerable to closure. Delays and cancellations on buses, trains, ferries, and flights are possible.
Transport Scotland and Network Rail have urged people to check before they travel.
The Met Office’s amber warning for wind is currently due to start at 4pm and end at midnight.
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100mm of rain possible
An additional amber warning for rain – which also covers parts of South Wales and southwest England – kicked in overnight and is due to last until 10am.
So far as the South West is concerned, the warning mostly covers Dartmoor in Devon.
The Met Office said 50 to 75mm of rain is expected across all impacted areas, with a possible peak of 100mm.
The predicted rainfall is expected to hit already saturated ground and could lead to difficult travel conditions.
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There were also two less severe yellow weather warnings for wind in place for today.
The first covers Scotland’s Grampians, Highlands and Eilean Siar, the Orkney Islands, and Strathclyde until midday.
The other was due to be over by 6am. It also covered parts of the Grampians, as well as northwest and northeast England, and the Denbighshire and Flintshire parts of Wales.
Storm Bram was named by the Irish weather service Met Eireann.
