Weather warnings as Storm Amy to batter UK this weekend

Weather warnings as Storm Amy to batter UK this weekend

First named storm of season expected to bring heavy rain and winds over 80mph to northern and western regions

Storm Amy, the first named storm of the season, is due to batter northern parts of the UK late on Friday and into Saturday, the Met Office has warned .

Forecasters said the storm was likely to bring gale force winds of over 80mph as well as heavy rain to northern and western regions.

Tom Crabtree, the Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said there was still uncertainty about the exact track Storm Amy would take and urged people to keep an eye on forecasts.

“The system will bring gale-force winds across northern and western regions, with gusts widely reaching 50 to 60 miles per hour inland in northern Britain, and potentially reaching 70 to 80 miles per hour in places,” he said.

Even stronger gusts were likely on exposed coasts and hills, mainly in the north-west, he said.

“Heavy rainfall is also expected, particularly over western Scotland , where totals could exceed 30-50mm in six to nine hours, increasing the risk of localised flooding. Forecasts and warnings will be updated as the situation becomes more clear.”

In anticipation of Storm Amy, yellow wind and rain warnings have been put in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of north and north-west England for Friday and Saturday, including a risk of danger to life.

Transport Scotland has warned of travel disruption and advised motorists to check the Traffic Scotland website before setting off. Train, ferry and air passengers should check with operators before travelling.

Martin Thomson, a spokesperson for Transport Scotland, said: “Storm Amy is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Scotland and we expect to see disruption to the transport network in the warning areas.