Met Office weather: Warning issued to rush-hour commuters over wind

The Met Office said gusts of up to 65mph could lead to road, rail, air and ferry delays, with those in affected areas advised to anticipate longer journeys and pay extra attention to road conditions.

A warning covering large parts of northern England, including Sheffield and Leeds, and a small area of southern Scotland is in place from 3am to 2pm on Wednesday.

Forecasters said gusts of 50-60mph are possible and potentially higher in more exposed places.

A separate warning for northern and western Wales and parts of northwest England expires at 9am, with the Met Office expecting gusts of 45-55mph fairly widely.

Gusts of 65mph are possible in a few places, particularly along the coast. The M48 Severn Bridge was closed in both directions due to strong winds with traffic being diverted via the M4 Prince of Wales Bridge.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said its overnight ferry service from Heysham, Lancashire to Douglas, Isle of Man was cancelled, but remaining Wednesday services are expected to operate as normal.

CalMac Ferries, which serves the west coast of Scotland, said services are subject to disruption on Wednesday.

The latest warnings come as many communities recover from the devastating effects of Storm Darragh earlier this month.

The fourth named storm of the season saw millions warned to stay indoors, tens of thousands left without power and trains cancelled. Two men were killed during the storm by falling trees hitting their vehicles.