Winds of up to 75mph are expected to lash south-west England today as newly named Storm Evert gathers pace.
The Met Office warned the weather ‘will get worse before it gets better’, with coastal gales and rain set to affect parts of the country.
Forecasters said it will be a ‘wet and windy start’ to Friday for the southern and central regions, before the storm moves across the UK.
Steven Keates, a meteorologist from the Met Office, said: ‘The wind will get worse before it gets better.
‘The highest gust of wind is on the Isles of Scilly, which is 45 knots or 52mph.
‘There is the potential for 60mph in coastal areas of west Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
‘There is the chance of seeing something a little stronger than that from midnight to 3am, where as per the amber warning, there is the chance of seeing gusts of up to 75mph in one or two very exposed coastal spots, mainly in Cornwall.’
An amber weather warning has been issued for south-west England, with the Met Office saying Storm Evert will bring strong winds to the region, potentially causing damage to infrastructure and leading to travel disruption.
This could include damage to buildings, fallen trees and a ‘good chance’ that power cuts could occur, which could affect other services such as mobile phone coverage.
The warning, which is currently in place until Friday morning, also says large waves, flying debris and beach material being thrown on to roads and seafronts could lead to injuries or ‘danger to life’.
On social media on Thursday night, people were sharing videos of heavy rain and large waves as the storm began.
Flooding and stormy weather has led to disruption in some parts of the country.
Cumbria County Council said 14 properties have been evacuated and some roads and footpaths have been closed due to a landslip in Parton, west Cumbria.
The Environment Agency has six flood alerts for areas including parts of south London and an area on the Isle of Wight.
Evert is the first storm to be named in the month of July by the Met Office’s storm naming group, although named summer storms are not unprecedented.
In 2020, Storm Ellen hit from August 19 to 20, before Storm Francis moved over the UK on August 25.
The naming of Storm Evert came on the day the Government announced that more than £860 million is to be invested in flood prevention schemes across the UK over the next year.
Scientists have warned that extreme rain, as well as 40C heat, will increasingly become the norm in England due to the effects of climate change.
Despite the funding, Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, said that there is no way to fully protect every property and business at risk of floods.
Referring to recent weather events in parts of Europe that left more than 100 people dead. she said: ‘We have seen some devastating flooding around the world so far this summer.
‘No one can prevent all flooding and climate change means the risk is increasing, but we can reduce the risks.
‘[However], no one should have a false sense of security. I strongly urge people to sign up for flood warnings and regularly check flood risk online.’
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