Met Office gives exact time winds will be fiercest where you live ...

Drivers heading home for Christmas could face disruptive winds with some gusts in the country hitting speeds of up to 85mph. A severe weather warning covering most of Gloucestershire has been issued from 12am to 9pm on Sunday.

The Met Office alert comes as an area of low pressure will cross the far north of the UK on Saturday bringing rain and strong winds across large swathes of the UK, the forecaster said. Another weather covering Scotland, much of Northern Ireland, north Wales and north-west England will be in force from 7am and midnight on Saturday.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, Rebekah Hicks, said: “This period of disruptive weather coincides with a busy period on UK roads as the festive getaway starts for many. The area of low pressure will bring rain and strong winds on Saturday, with a chance of significant disruption especially to transport networks across the north, including the potential for ferry cancellations.

“The strongest winds are expected across northern Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts of 80 to 85mph in coastal districts. The strong winds will be more widespread on Sunday with gusts of 50-60 mph across much of northern, central and western UK, locally higher for coasts and across high ground.”

Wind gust peaks on Sunday in Gloucestershire

Gloucester: 47mph from 6am to noon

Cheltenham: 46mph at noon

Tewkesbury: 47mph at noon

Stroud: 47mph from 9am to noon

Forest of Dean: 47mph from 9am to noon

Cirencester: 47mph at noon

Stow-on-the-Wold: 47mph at noon

The warnings comes as drivers have been urged not to travel on major routes for six hours on both Friday and Saturday to avoid the worst Christmas holiday traffic. The RAC and transport analytics company Inrix said roads are likely to be busiest between 1pm and 7pm on those days.

Hotspots where queues are expected include the M3 between its junction with the M25 and the south coast, the M25 anticlockwise between its junctions with the M1 and the M23, and the M53 from Chester to Liverpool.

RAC breakdown spokesperson Rod Dennis: “Gusty winds, and heavy showers in the north and west of the UK, are going to make millions of getaway trips by car all the more arduous this weekend.

“We understand it’s nearly Christmas and many people will be eager to get to their destinations, but our advice to drivers is to slow down, leave more space behind the car in front and be wary of the impact sudden strong gusts of wind can have.

“In these challenging conditions it’s vital to keep both hands on the wheel and watch out for high-sided vehicles that could potentially be blown off course.

“Those whose journeys involve using major bridges should allow extra time in case they are closed for safety reasons. Carrying an emergency breakdown kit in the boot is also important – sturdy shoes, warm clothes, waterproofs and a fully-charged mobile powerbank with cable are all must-haves.”

The winds will ease for the start of next week but there will be further rain moving east across the UK on Monday night, the Met Office said. Christmas Eve will be a mild, blustery day with further rain or drizzle at times in the west and the best chance of sunny spells in the east.

Christmas Day itself is likely to be settled, mostly cloudy and dry, although strong winds and spells of rain are likely in the far north. Temperatures are expected to be widely very mild, with the chance of a white Christmas looking slim, the forecaster added.