UK weather: Gales force winds batter parts of the country

Such strong winds are unusual in late spring

60mph winds are set to better southern parts of the UK (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Forecasters have issued a severe weather warning for parts of the UK, where winds of up to 60mph are set to hit.

The yellow weather warning, which means be aware, will be in force until at least 7pm on Tuesday evening.

Strong south-westerly winds could impact holidaymakers heading home after the Bank Holiday weekend, the Met Office has warned.

The south coast was hit the hardest this morning, and the winds will now spread across south-west England and parts of South Wales over the course of the day.

A yellow severe weather warning has also been issued for rain in Northern Ireland, which is expected to clear over the afternoon.

Meanwhile, central parts of the UK will experience downpours of heavy rain. By the end of the day, this will have moved which northwards to central and northern Scotland.

Such strong winds are rarely seen in southern Britain in May, Met Office meteorologist Charles Powell said.

“We normally expect the weather to settle down as we get into summer,” he said.

"We might expect these winds in the north but for it to be across the far south of the UK is a little bit unusual at this time of the year.

"We're looking at around 50-60mph gusts in exposed areas. Inland we'll still see strong winds but probably not quite up to those figures.

"It is relatively late in the season to see that kind of wind speed."

In a statement, the Met Office’s chief forecaster warned the public to be aware that the gusts may cause minor damage to trees and “make travel tricky for the likes of towing vehicles.”

Elsewhere in the UK, brighter more shower conditions will prevail.

As the UK prepares to take to the polls, conditions are expected to improve as low pressure moves to Scandinavia. Southern parts of the Britain will see sunshine, while northern parts will continue to see some wind and rain.

Additional reporting by PA