Storm Brian incoming: 70mph gusts expected

Communities across the British Isles are battening down the hatches in anticipation of Storm Brian, just days after three people died in hurricane-force winds and hundreds of thousands were left without power by Storm Ophelia

The storm, caused by a “weather bomb” of low pressure in the Atlantic, has already struck the western coast of Ireland with heavy rain and was due to hit western parts of the UK at 4am on Saturday, as some families begin their half-term holidays.

The Met Office said gusts of up to 70mph were expected, combining with high tides in coastal areas to produce huge waves and storm surges. The southern and western coast of England will remain under a yellow weather warning for wind until midnight on Saturday, when the worst of the storm is expected to have lost potency and moved into the far north-easterly reaches of Scotland.

A Met Office meteorologist, Craig Snell, said people should beware of venturing outdoors onto coastal walkways over the weekend. “If you don’t need to be at the coast the best advice will be not to be there. We are concerned that there could be some flooding at the immediate coast but even without flooding there will be some very high waves,” he said.

The Environment Agency has set up steel flood barriers in Fowey, Cornwall, in anticipation of the storm, as south-western towns braced themselves to become some of the worst affected areas.

Alison Baptiste, national flood duty manager for the Environment Agency, warned the public against social media stunts during the bad weather. “We urge people to stay safe along the coast and warn against putting yourself in unnecessary danger by taking storm selfies or driving through flood water – just 30cm is enough to move your car,” she said.

Network Rail said it was organising extra staff ahead of the weekend in anticipation of potential disruptions and reminded passengers to check travel updates before setting out on their journeys.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “We are keeping a close eye on Storm Brian and are doing everything we can to prepare for severe weather. We are deploying additional teams across the railway network to remove debris quickly and safely if we need to, and to keep passengers moving.”

The Energy Networks Association, representing the UK’s energy infrastructure, reminded residents to call the free 105 advice telephone number in case of damage to local networks and power supplies.

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