Storm Agnes to batter UK with strong winds and heavy rain

Strong winds and heavy rain are set to batter the UK as Storm Agnes sweeps across the country.

Agnes, the first named storm of the season, will affect western regions of the UK and Ireland on Wednesday, with the most powerful winds expected on the Irish Sea coasts.

Gusts of up to 80mph are possible in some places, with inland areas forecast to see gusts of 50 to 60mph.

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and northern England will also see heavy rainfall, with the possibility of up to 60mm in high-altitude areas of Scotland.

Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesperson, told the PA news agency: “The west of Wales could see about 20mm of rain and towards the South West (of the UK) a little bit less, but these showers could be fairly heavy in nature. Northern Ireland could see an excess of 30mm of rainfall in a relatively short period of time.”

Yellow weather warnings for rain have been issued for parts of Scotland between 9pm on Wednesday and 6am on Thursday, while a yellow warning for wind covers much of the UK expect the South East between noon on Wednesday and 7am on Thursday.

Forecasters are warning of the potential for some damage to buildings from strong winds, as well as the possibility of power cuts for some.

Transport disruption is also expected, with some roads and bridges likely to close.

Mr Dixon said: “There’s still some uncertainty on the exact track and positioning, and the strength of Storm Agnes as it moves in from the west. Stay up to date with the latest warnings because they’re fairly likely to be amended.”

Agnes is set to weaken later on Thursday as it moves further north in the UK, and more settled weather is expected for the weekend.