Storm Francis news – live: Flood warnings issued as 70mph winds and heavy rain to hit UK
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Storm Francis is expected to lash parts of the UK with up to 90mm of rainfall and to bring 70mph winds to some coastal regions on Tuesday, the Met Office has said.
The national weather service has issued yellow weather warnings for rain and an amber warning for wind as a result of the storm, which reached the west of the UK early on Tuesday morning.
Flooding has caused damage to buildings and homes in Ireland and Northern Ireland, while several rescue operations have taken place in Wales due to rising water levels.
Storm Francis to bring risk of 'severe gales'
The Met Office has issued weather warnings on Tuesday and Wednesday for wind and rain brought to the UK by Storm Francis.
The storm, which was named on Monday, made landfall early on Tuesday and will head into the North Sea on Wednesday morning.
It is the first time that the Met Office has named two storms in August since it started the practice in 2015.
Storm Ellen hit the UK last week, leading to the deaths of a 15-year-old girl in a river in Wales and a 50-year-old man in the sea in Cornwall.
Winds of more than 50mph recorded overnight
Parts of the UK recorded gusts of more than 50mph overnight, with Storm Francis likely to bring even stronger winds to coastal areas in England on Tuesday.
There were 51mph winds overnight in Mount Batten, Plymouth, while the same speed was registered in Mace Head, Co Galway, on Tuesday morning.
This came after 30.8mm of rain fell in just six hours on parts of Co Kerry, Ireland, on Tuesday evening.
One flood alert has been issued for Wales, while 29 flood warnings are in place across England, Wales and Scotland.
Swathes of the UK to experience wet and windy conditions
Alex Deakin, a meteorologist at the Met Office, has said that it will be "wet and windy for large chunks of the UK” on Tuesday due to Storm Francis.
“The rain will be focused across Northern Ireland, southern-central Scotland for most of the day. Some heavy bursts across north and mid Wales and parts of northern England,” he added.
As well as the heavy rain, it will also be “unseasonably windy”, according to Mr Deakin.
Winds of 70mph expected during Storm Francis
Windsurfers off Westward Ho! beach in Devon on Tuesday, as winds are expected to reach 70mph in some coastal areas during Storm Francis (Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
Photo posted on Twitter shows flooding in Neath, Wales, on Tuesday morning
Storm Francis brings wind and rain to UK
Waves hit the seafront at Tramore in County Waterford, Ireland on 25 August, 2020. (Niall Carson/PA Wire)
RNLI warns public not to take 'unnecessary risks' at the coast
The RNLI has told the public not take "unnecessary risks" during Storm Francis, saying that large waves could easily drag people out to sea.
The charity's warning comes as parts of the UK's coastline are predicted to experience 70mph gusts on Tuesday.
Met Office upgrades wind weather warning
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for wind on Tuesday afternoon across Wales, the Midlands and Lincolnshire.
This comes after Storm Francis made landfall with the UK early on Tuesday morning.
Yellow weather warnings, the Met Office's lowest alert level, are also in place for large parts of the UK because of the wind and rain.
Waves crash against harbour wall in Wales during Storm Francis
Waves hit the harbour wall in Porthcawl, Wales, as the Met Office upgrades its wind weather warning from yellow to amber for Wales and parts of England.(Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
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