Wild Wednesday: Where Will Latest Storm Hit?
Another storm comes in from the Atlantic bringing strong winds and more heavy rain, with millions of people warned to be prepared.Large parts of the UK are braced for a "Wild Wednesday" with strong winds and heavy rain including in the South which is already reeling from severe flooding.
The Met Office has issued a red warning - the most severe - for "exceptional" winds up to 100mph in western parts of Wales and some north-western areas of England this afternoon and evening.
Among the areas affected by the extreme weather could be Blackpool, Cumbria, Lancashire and Merseyside
During the day gusts up to 80mph are possible in southern England and parts of the North amid an amber alert, as millions of people are warned to be prepared.
Forecasters say there may be a month's worth of rainfall in the next three days, which will add to the flooding concerns in the Thames Valley and Somerset.
Hundreds of properties have already been flooded and the water levels on the River Thames are set to continue rising. Experts are predicting 20-30mm of rain today across many southern and western areas, with as much as 70mm by Friday in the already sodden West Country, south Wales, western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The winds are already hitting the South West and they will also affect other parts of the South before moving north.There is also a less serious yellow warning for snow in the North, with predictions of 20-50mm in places and 100mm on higher ground, in western Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and Wales. This will bring the risk of travel disruption. Sky weather forecaster Isobel Lang said: "A deep Atlantic depression will bring further weather impacts today including further flooding from heavy rain, dangerous driving conditions from snow and travel and power disruption from severe gales."Around 20 to 30mm of rain, over an inch, is likely as the front sweeps northeastwards, along with 60mph gusts, but the strongest winds are forecast to affect northwest England and Wales this afternoon and evening and gusts may reach a damaging 100mph."She added: "Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will have a stormy day as low pressure tracks northeastwards.
"Heavy rain and hill snow will spread northeast followed by clear spells and scattered wintry showers.
"Winds will be very strong especially across southern and eastern parts with gusts in excess of 80mph.
