Face of Nation : Britain is set to be battered by heavy wind and rain over the weekend, with travel plans disrupted and road chaos caused by a band of “unseasonable” weather. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for almost all of the UK, while Highways England has asked drivers to consider delaying journeys to avoid dangerous conditions.
The Met Office said westerly regions will be hit first as it issued a yellow wind warning beginning on Friday afternoon, covering West Wales, Devon and Cornwall, and stretching to parts of the Channel coast. A second warning will then come into force on Saturday covering the whole of Wales and southern and central England as far north as Blackpool, Huddersfield and Grimsby. A thunderstorms warning remains in place for the north of England and Scotland for Sunday.
Wales and the west of England will be the first areas to be hit on Friday morning at around 11am, followed by the rest of the UK. Several festivals and events have been cancelled as forecasters warned of strong wind and heavy rain up and down the country.
Houghton, a Norfolk dance music festival, was cancelled just hours before it was due to start, its “devastated” organisers announced on Facebook. Motorists and commuters have also been told to avoid travelling if possible. Richard Leonard, head of road safety at Highways England, urged drivers to check conditions before they travel and “consider if their journey is necessary”.
“In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down and avoid using exposed sections of road if possible,” he said. The RNLI has also warned people visiting the coast to beware of large waves and storms.
Neil Armstrong, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “This low-pressure system will bring challenging conditions, including unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain, from the west during Friday and Saturday. Warnings are also in place at Whaley Bridge, where around 1,500 residents were recently allowed home after the damaged Toddbrook Reservoir was deemed safe.
