Wind and heavy rain expected to batter parts of Wales

Commuters were facing possible disruption with heavy rain and winds of up to 70mph on Friday and more to come during the weekend.

Yellow weather warnings are in force from Friday morning across parts of Wales.

The Met Office has also issued a wind alert and a rain warning covering Wales on Sunday.

There is some good news with warmer weather on the way and temperatures could peak at 16C, the Met Office said.

Disruption

A warning for wind has been issued from 8am until 3pm for large parts of the Welsh coast on Friday, with forecasters predicting travel disruption, power cuts, and flooding.

Despite predicting a mild start to Friday, the Met Office warned of heavy pulses of rain accompanied by gales around coastal areas and hills.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Mike Silverstone said: “On Friday, south and west Wales, south-west Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland will see the strongest winds, possibly around 70mph on exposed coasts and around 60mph more widely within the warning areas.

“Rain is an additional hazard, with 30-40mm likely in parts of Scotland over a six-hour period, and up to around 70mm possible over higher ground within the warning areas.”

Rain

More rain and wind is expected from Sunday, according to the Met Office.

A yellow warning for wind is in place for Wales from 6am to 6pm on Sunday.

Similar warnings for rain, which could lead to localised flooding and travel disruption are in place for much of south Wales from Sunday morning.

Mr Silverstone said: “The underlying factor in the shift in the UK’s weather is our transition from a cold easterly regime to more of a westerly regime.

“While this pushes away the colder air that has been affecting us, it also reintroduces Atlantic weather systems and the potential for areas of low pressure to influence the UK’s weather.”