Storm Ashley flood alerts issued as tempest bears down on UK with 80mph winds

Gales of up to 80mph are due to hit some areas with torrential rain causing disruption and potentially closing roads as the government issues hundreds of flood warnings across wide swathes of the UK

Brits have been warned to brace themselves for power cuts, travel chaos and danger to life as Storm Ashley is set to batter parts of the UK on Sunday.

Gales of up to 80mph are due to hit some areas with torrential rain causing disruption and potentially closing roads as the government issues hundreds of flood warnings.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for the west coast of Scotland with forecasters warning there is a “good chance” of power cuts as the storm tears into the UK at around 9am on Sunday.

There is also likely to be damage to buildings, the Met Office said, with disruption to travel, with “longer journey times and cancellations likely, as road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected”. Roads are likely to close in the most severely affected areas.

“Injuries and danger to life is likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, sea fronts and properties,” the forecaster warned. The amber warning is in place until midnight on Sunday.

Meanwhile a yellow weather warning covers a much wider swathe of the UK from 3am on Sunday morning warning of damage to buildings, power cuts and injuries and danger to life from the high speed winds.

“Initially a period of strong south to southeasterly winds will likely develop through Sunday morning, with gusts of 50-60 mph possible in some inland areas, especially Northern Ireland and western Scotland, and perhaps up to 60-70 mph along exposed coasts and hills,” the Met Office said.

“Winds will then turn southwesterly, with a period of especially strong winds possible during Sunday afternoon and evening across western Scotland where gusts could potentially reach 70-80 mph in exposed areas, and more generally 55-65 mph in other parts of the warning area.”

The yellow weather warning covers Scotland, north western England, Northern Ireland and parts of west Wales, it lasts until midnight on Sunday. A smaller area of northern Scotland remains covered by a yellow warning for wind until 9am on monday.

The Environment Agency currently has 52 flood warnings in place, meaning “flooding is expected” as well as a further 145 flood alerts meaning “flooding is possible”. The majority of the warnings and alerts are for the western half of the UK with the bulk of the warnings between Birmingham and Bristol. You can find out more about flooding in your area on the flood checker website.