Storm Diana: how bad is it?

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for today and tomorrow as Storm Diana gathers pace across the UK.

Forecasters are predicting very windy weather throughout the country today, with a blast of strong winds and gales set to hit the North and West. Widespread rain is expected, with the heaviest showers likely to fall over Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“You’ll have misty and murky conditions across the UK on Thursday,” says Alex Deakin, a meteorologist for the Met Office. “For most, it’s one more cold day, feeling particularly cold as the storm pushes into Northern Ireland. The wind has potential to do some damage, especially on Wednesday and Thursday. We have warnings in force.”

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The storm, named Storm Diana by the IPMA Portuguese weather service, could cause “damage to property or dangerous flooding”, reports the Daily Mirror.

Areas affected by the yellow warnings include Wales, southwest England, northwest England, Northern Ireland, the Highlands and Eilean Siar, and southwest Scotland. Strong winds could result in travel delays and power failures up until Thursday afternoon.

Engineers from Network Rail will be on standby to tackle any incidents on Britain’s railways, Sky News reports. “Floods, high winds and landslips can destroy railway infrastructure and block lines, so our teams repair damage and clear debris to ensure trains can continue to run,” said a spokesperson for the company.

The storm is expected to bring between 60mm and 80mm of rain, while winds could reach speeds of up to 130km/h.

The gusty wet weather is forecast to continue into the weekend.