Capital to be battered with strong winds as stormy weather hits UK

Staff reporter(wp/es):

London is set to be battered by strong, gusty winds as forecasters issue a severe weather alert for commuter towns south of the capital.

Parts of the south east could see gales of up to 70mph while more coastal areas are set to be hammered with winds of more than 80mph as stormy weather sweeps the UK on Friday.

Met Office weather experts told the Standard it is as yet “uncertain” how badly the storm could affect London – but added the capital could certainly see some “unsettled weather”.

Power cuts and delays to travel have been warned for western England, Wales and parts of the south east as part of a yellow weather alert put in place for 6am on Friday.

The strong winds could also cause flooding, bring down trees and damage buildings, forecasters warned.

The gales are set to last until just before midnight on Friday – but the Met Office said more updates could come within the next few days.

The stormy weather across the UK follows weeks of freezing temperatures and heavy fog which blighted flights from London’s airports.

The Met Office said: "At the moment, there remains a lot of uncertainty over the locations most likely to be affected and the timing.

"A national severe weather warning for wind has been issued for Friday but at this stage, because of the uncertainty around the level of impact it could bring, the storm has not been named."

Temperatures this week have risen to around 10C and 11C with heavy cloud and patches of rain and drizzle. The weekend in London looks set to be similar in temperature.