Travel disruption across Wales as 70mph winds hit

Ferries have been cancelled, rail services disrupted and trunk roads closed as bad weather hits.

Warnings for "very high winds" have been issued for large parts of Wales.

The Met Office has yellow warnings in place until midnight on Wednesday and warned of flying debris, power cuts and large waves along the coast.

Flood alerts have been issued for Pembrokeshire, between St Dogmaels and Amroth, for Ceredigion, between Borth and Cardigan, and for Holyhead.

The M48 Severn Bridge is closed while the A55 Britannia Bridge in Gwynedd and A477 Cleddau Bridge in Pembrokeshire are closed to high-sided vehicles.

The A487 is closed at three locations between Llanarth in Ceredigion and Cross Foxes in Gwynedd due to fallen trees and power cables.

Meanwhile, a pole and wiring has fallen into the road on Park Street, Blaina, and firefighters from Merthyr Tydfil were needed to retrieve a metal garden shed that had blown onto Aberfan Road.

A number of large tree branches has fallen on to the gas pipe of a property in Llandrindod Wells and a tree fell onto a power line in Dinas Cross.

A number of roads are reportedly blocked due to fallen trees, including the A478 between Cardigan in Ceredigion and Crymych in Pembrokeshire, the A4139 Ferry Lane, Pembroke, and Garnswllt Road, Pontarddulais, Swansea.

A second yellow wind warning is in place from 03:00 until 15:00 on Thursday.

The UK Met Office has not named the weather event as a storm, but the Portugese meteorological service has named it Storm Diana.

Rail users have been warned they face further disruption due to severe weather. Passengers are already faced with a reduced service across the network due to an "unprecedented" number of damaged trains, many of which were caused during the Storm Callum last month.

Trains will run at a reduced speed between Bangor and Holyhead, Swansea and Carmarthen and from Llanelli to Llandrindod Wells as well as from Carmarthen to Pembroke Dock and Fishguard Harbour.

Additionally, many trains will not stop at Colwyn Bay, Prestatyn and Flint so passengers are advised to check their journeys.

Ferries have been cancelled between Fishguard and Rosslare while services between Holyhead and Dublin are delayed.

Power cuts have affected hundreds of homes in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, and across Carmarthenshire, said Western Power Distribution.

Penrhyn Castle, near Bangor, Gwynedd, and Plas Newydd House and Gardens, along the Menai Strait on Anglesey, are both closed due to the severe weather.

The Met Office said the worst of the weather on Wednesday would affect western coastal areas, while on Thursday there was a "small chance of very strong and disruptive winds" in mid, west and north Wales.

"There is a very small chance that injuries and danger to life could occur from large waves and beach material being thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties," the forecast added.

People have been urged not to put themselves in danger near coastal areas.