Storm Lorenzo: Warnings issued as 65mph winds, torrential rain and flash flooding hits UK

‘There are flood warnings in place and that remains a concern,’ meteorologist says after Isle of Man chaos

Winds of up to 65mph are set to batter Britain and forecasters have warned that heavy rain and flooding are possible as Storm Lorenzo reaches the UK.

A yellow wind warning between 3pm and 10pm today, has been issued for parts of Northern Ireland, where the storm’s centre will first hit.

Strong south-easterly gusts travelling at 50mph are set to hit the province, forecaster said.

“Exposed coastal locations and high ground may see gusts of 55-60 mph,” a Met Office spokesperson said.

The worst winds will be felt on the coasts of Ireland, where Met Éireann has issued an orange weather warning, meaning their impact will be high.

In inland Eire, winds of up to 75mph are expected inland on Ireland, with even higher speeds expected at exposed coastal areas.

In the UK the gusts may cause transport disruption for people travelling by road, rail, air and ferry, the forecaster said.

Torrential rain is also expected for Northern Ireland, before it spreads to southwest Scotland, Wales and western and central England.

“There will be outbreaks of rain on Thursday spreading to the west,” said Mark Wilson, a Met Office meteorologist. “The winds will also start to strengthen. We are expecting winds of about 60mph in Northern Ireland, where the centre of the storm will be. “Lorenzo’s focus will shift overnight as that area of low pressure drifts south.”

Waves crash against a County Durham sea wall on 2 October (PA)

A second yellow warning for wind is in place from 4am to 4pm on Friday for southwest England, which may be hit by westerly winds travelling at 65mph.

“We’re expecting those gusts to be over south Wales and southwest England,” Mr Wilson said.

These will intensify during Friday morning before easing from the west during the afternoon. Inland gusts of 50-55 mph are possible whilst some coastal locations may see gusts of 60-65 mph.

“There are flood warnings in place and that remains a concern,” Mr Wilson said.

Heavy rain has already caused chaos in the Isle of Man, where the Laxey River burst its banks on Tuesday, leaving villagers trapped in their homes by floodwater.

A major clean up operation is underway in the village of Laxey ahead of Lorenzo’s arrival.

Eleven flood warnings and 454 flood alerts are currently in place across England, the Environment Agency said. The winds will fade by Saturday though the weather will remain changeable.

“As we look ahead it stays very uncertain,” Mr Wilson said. “There will be further outbreaks of rain- these will spread from western regions to the east of the UK on Sunday. And another fresh band of rain will arrive on Monday. There’s no sign of [conditions] settling down.

“It is very autumnal weather.”

Additional reporting by agencies