UK wind warning: Met Office issues yellow warning as 60mph gust could hit parts of the country

A yellow weather warning for wind has been introduced for parts of northern England, Scottish Borders and the Central Belt, with areas such as Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh set to be battered. The warning also covers parts of North Wales, including Bangor and Holyhead.

The warning will be in place overnight from 1am until 9am on Thursday morning (August 22). The Met Office has warned that the winds may lead to some travel disruption during the Thursday morning commute.

The Met Office said in its warning update: “A spell of very strong southwesterly winds will occur during the early hours of Thursday, easing from the west during the morning. Gusts of 50mph are likely fairly widely with some gusts of 60mph in exposed locations, including roads and bridges in north Wales, as well as roads passing over high ground in northern England and southern Scotland. These gusts will be strong enough to blow over a few trees, given that they are currently in full leaf.”

It comes as a yellow weather warning for rain on the western coast of Scotland was also introduced, with heavy showers expected from 11am on Wednesday (August 21) until 8am on Thursday morning. The stormy conditions hit the UK as the remnants of Hurricane Ernesto, which caused chaos in the Americas, travel across the Atlantic Ocean.

Met Office chief meteorologist Jason Kelly said: “A band of rain will move in from the west on Wednesday morning and will become slow moving with heavy bursts of rain at times, especially over high ground in Scotland. This rain will persist into Thursday for many within the warning area, with 75-100mm likely quite widely, with higher accumulations possible over the higher ground.  

“Gusty winds will accompany the rain, with 50-60mph possible near Irish Sea coasts and the west of Scotland. Coupled with spring tides, this could lead to some dangerous coastal conditions before winds gradually ease later on Thursday.”

Douglas Cairns from Transport Scotland said: “The forecast weather conditions are likely to impact driving in the areas covered by the yellow warning, so our advice to motorists is to plan your journey, leave extra time if needed and drive to the conditions. The Traffic Scotland website gives people access to the latest information on the trunk road network and the Traffic Scotland X/Twitter page is also updated regularly so you can check if your route is available before setting off. There may also be disruption on other modes of transport, so please check with your operator before setting off if you’re planning to travel by rail, ferry or air.”