Storm Freya: Severe yellow weather warning issued as 80mph winds expected to hit UK on Sunday

Forecasters warn of danger to life posed by flying debris

Storm Freya is expected to bring winds as strong as 80mph to parts of the UK on Sunday, prompting the Met Office to issue a severe yellow weather warning.

Conditions will be calm immediately before the storm on Saturday, although a band of rain will bring wet and windy weather to western areas of the UK.

The rain will fall on Saturday evening across western Scotland, Northern Ireland and western Wales.

By nightfall the rain will push towards the southeast of England.

It will then move north overnight.

Forecasters expect Storm Freya to begin in earnest on Sunday afternoon and say people should be wary of flying debris and large waves, which could pose a danger to life.

"We are most concerned about the wind," said Helen Roberts, a meteorologist at the Met Office.

"The wind will be felt widely across the UK but particularly in coastal areas around the Irish sea."

Meteorologists fear that wind speeds could reach up to 80mph in coastal areas, including in west Wales and parts of southwest England.

Gusts between 55mph and 65mph can be expected elsewhere.

"The strength of the wind could bring down trees and house tiles," said Ms Roberts said.

"There is a risk of travel disruption."

A severe yellow weather warning will be in place between 3pm on Sunday and 6am on Monday.

Storm Freya may also cause power cuts and some roads and bridges may close, according to the Met Office.

But the strong gusts will fade by Monday.

"Storm Freya pulls away across the North Sea on Monday morning," Ms Roberts said.

"Monday will be a dry, breezy day and it will be quite a bright one."

Although the end of February was unseasonably warm, early March is expected to be unsettled at best.

"Tuesday will be cloudy but generally dry and then it will continue to be unsettled for the rest of the week," Ms Roberts said.

"It will be very much a change from last week."

Additional reporting by agencies