Storm Jocelyn: Met Office amber alert issued - UK braced for 80mph wind speeds after Storm Isha wreaks havoc

An amber warning for wind has been issued as Storm Jocelyn is set to batter some parts of the UK with speeds of up to 80mph. This comes just one day after Storm Isha caused widespread destruction throughout the country, including travel disruptions and fatalities.

The Met Office said the warning covers western and northern Scotland from 6pm on Tuesday (January 23) until 8am on Wednesday (January 24), with yellow warnings for rain covering parts of western and southern Scotland, and northwest England until 3pm on Wednesday.

The forecasters said the amber alert may cause power cuts, some damage to buildings, and longer journey times and cancellations, as road, rail, air, and ferry services may be affected. A spokesperson from the Met Office added: "Some roads and bridges are likely to close, and injuries and danger to life are likely from large waves and beach material being thrown onto coastal roads, seafronts, and properties."

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “Although this system will be a step down relative to Storm Isha, with the damage and clean up still underway, we could potentially see more impacts from Storm Jocelyn. Outbreaks of heavy rain on Tuesday could bring rainfall accumulations of 15 to 20mm quite widely with 40 to 50 mm over higher ground in southwest Scotland, the Scottish Highlands and parts of northwest England.

Wind gusts are expected to reach 55 to 65 mph across northwestern Scotland while there is potential for winds to gust to 75 to 80 mph in a few places, in particular exposed parts of the Western Isles and coastal northwest Scotland early on Wednesday morning.”

The fresh wind alert comes as at least four deaths were reported at the height of Storm Isha on Sunday (January 21). A man in his 60s was killed in Northern Ireland in a crash involving two vans and a fallen tree, and a man in his 40s reportedly died in a single-vehicle crash in Claremorris, Co Mayo when a status red alert was in place.

Meanwhile, an 84-year-old man died in Fife after the car he was a passenger in crashed into a fallen tree on the A905 Beancross Road in Grangemouth, Fife. The car struck a fallen tree at around 11.45pm, with winds picking up across the country as Storm Isha hit overnight, and a woman in her 20s, who was a passenger in a van, died after it hit a tree in Carnalogue in Co Louth in the early hours of Monday.

The storm also caused extensive travel difficulties, with a number of planes being diverted during the storm. Trains were also suspended, with delayed services reported on the East Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, and LNER lines.

5-day weather forecast

Monday (January 22)

Showers will generally ease through the evening, though will continue across the northwest of the UK through the night. Dry, with clear spells elsewhere. Winds easing but remaining blustery along eastern coasts and picking up in the west by dawn.

Tuesday (January 23)

Storm Jocelyn moves in from the west, bringing strong winds with gales or severe gales possible, especially around exposed Scottish Coasts. Rain tracks eastwards with heavy downpours for northwestern areas.

A mixture of sunshine and blustery showers on Wednesday. Staying windy on Thursday, with some patchy rain moving northeastwards. Drier in the south on Friday, showers continue in the north.