High winds batter Britain

High speed winds of up to 114mph battered parts of the UK today, forecasters said.

The Cairngorms in the Scottish Highlands recorded the highest wind speeds between midnight and 6am, while strong gusts lashed at the rest of Scotland and northern England.

Andy Ratcliffe, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said: "Across the Cairngorms in Scotland winds got up to 114mph. So far that's the highest level recorded but that area is approximately 1,200 metres above sea level.

"These are high wind speeds but not particularly unusual for this time of year."

Wind speeds topped 80mph in Orkney, off the coast of northern Scotland, and 75mph in Loftus, Cleveland, north England.

Mr Ratcliffe said: "We have seen a narrow bank of rain moving south eastwards across England and Wales and these areas are having the highest gusts.

"In Wales speeds have got up to 74mph in Capel Curig (Snowdonia National Park, north Wales). Across the rest of England the winds haven't been as strong. They have hit 50mph as the rain band passes through."

Winds are expected to ease across the UK during the course of the day.

PA