Towns across Britain are facing a battering as Storm Antoni smashes into the UK this weekend.
The Met Office has now issued Amber weather warnings for wind for areas of Southwest England and Wales – with winds of up to 70mph expected in some areas.
The amber warning, in force from 11am until 7pm on Saturday, states: “An area of low pressure, Storm Antoni, will bring particularly strong winds for the time of year to parts of southwest Wales and southwest England during Saturday.
“Strong northwesterly winds are likely to peak during the middle of the day in southwest Wales, and through the afternoon in southwest England, before easing during the evening.
“Gusts of 40-50 mph are expected widely even inland, with a few spots peaking around 60 mph, while exposed coastal areas and hills could see gusts around 70 mph. Such values are rarely encountered during the summer season.”
Read More: Met Office warns Storm Antoni will hit today and be ‘worst in over a year’
Elsewhere in the country, a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place across London and much of Southeast England and East Anglia – with a warning for rain also in place around Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland.
Heavy rain is set to persist in many areas throughout Saturday with the Environment Agency issuing flood alerts for areas including parts of London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire, Sussex, Devon and Bristol.
The RAC has also warned of potential travel disruption as a result of Storm Antoni as millions of drivers take to the roads.
Restrictions are in place on the Severn Bridge on the M48 due to strong winds. Elsewhere the A38 is blocked near Bodmin, Cornwall, due to a fallen tree.
The RAC’s Rod Dennis said: “We expect Saturday to be the worst day on the roads of the summer so far, especially for anyone in the southwest of England – and that’s a lot of people as our research shows it’s the most popular part of the country for leisure trips by car this year.
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“Conditions will be atrocious with a wholly unpleasant mix of very strong winds and locally intense rainfall. The best advice is to slow down significantly to stay safe and avoid exposed moorland and coastal routes until the storm passes. Drivers towing caravans and trailers need to be particularly careful in these conditions and those with boxes and bikes on the roof should double-check they’re secured properly.
“Drivers should also watch out for fallen trees and be prepared for the disruption they cause.
“Nationally, we estimate around 4m drivers will be using the roads for leisure journeys across the whole weekend.”
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