Met Office issues warning as Wales braces for high winds

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning as Wales braces for strong winds this weekend.

It comes following back to back heavy rain alerts in force across large parts of the country earlier this week leading to travel disruption and flooding.

The forecaster has now issued a new warning for strong winds across a large part of Wales and southwest England which could cause some disruption on Sunday (September 29).

The yellow weather alert will remain in place from 9:00am until 11:59pm.

Winds will strengthen from west to east during Sunday, with gusts of 50-55 mph likely in places, exceeding 60mph in the most exposed areas.

The Met Office said this will be accompanied by outbreaks of rain, heavy at times, which could lead to some surface water and spray.

Waves

Some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and large waves, with some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport likely, along with disruption to bus and train services.

Winds will gradually ease across Wales and inland parts of south west England through Sunday evening and night.

Friday and Saturday will see generally drier weather develop for much of the UK, though this will coincide with a drop in temperatures as a northerly airflow develops and could introduce widespread frost on Friday night.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said: “After a drier interlude for many on Friday, Saturday and early Sunday, attention shifts to a deep area of low pressure to the southwest which will bring rain and strong winds to parts of the UK, potentially impactful for some.

“A yellow warning for wind has been issued for much of Sunday across portions of southwest England and south and west Wales, where gusts could reach or even exceed 60 mph on exposed coasts, and 50-55 mph more widely. This system will gradually track eastwards through Sunday and into Monday and will bring another spell of wet weather fairly widely across the UK.

‘We’re continuing to monitor the rainfall with this system, as rain falling on saturated ground in flood-hit areas has the potential to cause further impacts. Stay up to date with the latest forecast as further warnings could be issued in the coming days.”

On Friday (September 27) Natural Resources Wales (NRW) issued a flood alert for areas around the River Severn from Newtown to the Severn-Vyrnwy Confluence.

People living in the area are warned that flooding of low-lying land and roads is expected due to the heavy rainfall currently affecting the area.

NRW says it is continuing to monitor the situation.