Storm Henk is due to batter parts of Britain with very strong winds and heavy rain hitting much of southern England and Wales, with the Met Office issuing amber and yellow warnings. The amber warning covers a huge swathe of the country, including more than 20 counties.
Coastal areas could see gusts of 70-80mph while inland areas could see 50-60mph winds as the storm, named by the Met Office, sweeps the country.
Forecasters said there is a good chance of power cuts with probable damage to buildings, travel chaos and a chance of injury or loss of life from flying debris.
The Met Office’s amber warning is in place from 10am to 8pm on Tuesday, while a yellow warning for wind is in place from 8am to 9pm.
It says: “Storm Henk will bring a spell of very strong winds, causing disruption to travel and utilities. Heavy rain falling on saturated ground is likely to cause some travel disruption.”
Meanwhile, people living near the coast have been advised to avoid walking near any large, crashing waves as they may drag them out to sea.
Motorists should drive slowly and homeowners should secure garden furniture and other loose objects, according to the Met Office.
Heavy rain is also expected later in the day, with a yellow warning in place from 5pm to 9pm, reaching as far north as Manchester and Hull.
It says: “Flooding of a few homes and businesses is possible. Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longer.
“Bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer.”
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “Further wet and windy weather is forecast for the UK this week. Our latest analysis of the forecast shows an increase in the likelihood of very strong wind gusts across parts of southern Wales and England which is why we have issued this Amber warning this morning and named Storm Henk.
“Storm Henk will initially bring very strong winds to the south west of England and southern Wales, with gusts of up to 80mph possible. As Storm Henk moves north-eastwards across the south of the UK through Tuesday the strongest winds will also move eastwards, across the south Midlands, Home Counties and East Anglia through the afternoon and evening.”
The outlook for the UK looking ahead is for it to remain unsettled through this week with westerly Atlantic conditions in charge.
Through the weekend and into next week there are early signs of higher pressure developing which would bring more settled conditions and a spell of lower temperatures, according to the Met Office.
