Wet and windy weather continues through the weekend

Winds of up to 70mph are expected in parts of the UK as weather forecasters issued a series of warnings for the weekend.

The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for rain and wind in the east and south of England – including Portsmouth, Brighton and Canterbury until 10pm on Saturday.

In these areas, wind speeds could reach highs of 60-70mph and rain of up to 40mm is expected in the space of between three and six hours.

This is expected to affect travel times, and the Met Office has asked people to allow extra time for all journeys.

Sarah Kent, a Met Office spokesperson, said: “There could be some slight damage to trees and with a heavy rain as well there could be spray and standing water on the road.

“So if people are travelling please allow some extra time for journeys because there could be some travel disruption and things like ferry transport could be delayed due to wind strength as well.

“The main area of concern is within that yellow warning which is why we issued the warning, there could be minor localised impacts elsewhere but they’re not going to be widespread enough to merit putting a warning out and warning people.”

Between 9am and 3pm on Saturday, Evershot in Dorset recorded 30mm of rainfall, and Middle Wallop in Hampshire had 24.2mm in the same time period.

Winds were strongest between midday and 2pm Saturday afternoon, with gusts of 60mph felt in Needles Old Battery in the Isle of Wight, and 41mph in Langdon Bay, Kent.

Wind across all coastal regions is expected to stay high, but gusts will also be felt inland on higher ground of anywhere between 40-50mph.

The weather warning is only in place until 10pm, and rain is expected to lessen through the night – but showers are still expected on Sunday.

A yellow wind warning is in place for Sunday in the Shetland Islands, but it will be brighter for most of the UK with some spots of sun, though heavy bursts of rain will continue throughout the day.

Published: 02/10/2021 by Radio NewsHub