Storm Ashley – live: Met Office issues weather warning as UK expects 80mph winds

Police Scotland has advised motorists to “plan ahead and avoid unnecessary journeys where possible” ahead of the “strong likelihood” of disruption on the roads, while Transport Scotland has warned of likely delays to public transport, including the country’s ferry network.

Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, Scotland’s Chief Constable for Roads Policing, said: “Make sure your vehicle has sufficient fuel and is fully roadworthy, with tire pressure and tread that meet legal requirements.

“Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged if you need to call for assistance and if you are likely to be in your vehicle for long periods, take extra clothes and water with you.”

Despite the wet and windy weather brought by Storm Ashley, temperatures are expected to rise to 17C in southern England on Sunday, Meteorologist Dan Stroud said.

“The strongest winds are likely to come through tomorrow afternoon,” he said. “It’s going to be a fairly bright afternoon, but it’s going to be very windy and blustery out there, especially in the north of the country, so don’t be lulled into a false sense of security.”

The “very strong, violent gales” on Sunday will coincide with high tides which could also result in “very big waves”, Mr Stroud warned.

Outside the warning zones, the rest of Britain, including inland areas, will still feel the impact of Storm Ashley with “very windy” conditions and rain moving across southern and eastern England, he added.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency’s website shows 41 active flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected, and 132 flood warnings, meaning flooding is possible.

The warnings cover several areas of the River Severn, the south Cornwall coast and the Wye Estuary.

In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued 16 flood warnings and a further 17 warnings as far afield as Stonehaven, Ayr and Grangemouth.

Around 13 alerts have been issued in Wales, eight of them on the country’s south coast and three in the west.

Storm Ashley, the first named storm of the season will initially hit Ireland on Sunday morning, with high wind warnings in place for seven counties including Galway, Mayo, Kerry and Donegal.

It will then track north-east and reach the UK early on Sunday morning, according to the Met Office, causing likely power cuts, damage to buildings and travel disruption. Dozens of flood warnings are also in place.

You can find more details about what to expect in this report:

A further yellow warning for heavy rain has been issued for south Wales, Cornwall, Devon and parts of Dorset and Somerset between 03.00 and noon Sunday.

Between 15 and 25 mm of rain is expected to fall in most affected areas. However, uplands exposed to the strong southerly winds could see 35 to 45mm, while potentially as much as 65mm could fall on Dartmoor, the Met Office said.

The BBC Shipping Forecast has issued around 30 gale warnings for locations in waters around the UK, including near the Hebrides, Dover, the Thames and the Irish Sea.

The BBC’s shipping forecast predicts severe storm force 11 in Shannon, Ireland.

On the Beaufort scale, used to measure wind, 11 is the second highest reading, after hurricane strength.

Storm Ashley is currently developing rapidly as it moves across the Atlantic, undergoing a process known as “explosive cyclogenesis,” according to the Donegal Weather Channel.

Storm Ashley will bring a wet and windy end to the weekend, the Met Office has said as it released this hour-by-hour forecast for tomorrow’s weather:

Train operator ScotRail also issued advice ahead of expected disruption on Sunday, urging those traveling to check their services are still running.

Scott Prentice, strategy and planning director at the operator said: “To keep our customers and staff safe, speed limits will be in place as a precaution on some routes in Scotland, which will mean longer journey times.

“Customers should check their journey before departure and keep an eye on our website, app or social media feeds for live updates.”