Met Office weather warnings issued with winds of up to 60mph ...

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Commuters and shoppers heading for Christmas festivities on Wednesday may have to rethink their travel plans, as strong winds reaching up to 60mph are expected to batter the UK.

The Met Office has issued two new yellow wind warnings, and has cautioned that the gales could lead to delays on public transport including ferry services on Wednesday.

It follows weeks of poor weather across the country, with many communities still recovering from the devastating effects of Storm Darragh earlier this month.

A warning covering large parts of northern England, including Sheffield and Leeds, and a small area of southern Scotland has been put in place from 3am to 2pm on Wednesday.

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Some areas will see gusts of 50mph to 60mph, with potentially higher figures in more exposed places, as west to south-westerly winds picked up from late Tuesday night.

A separate wind warning is also in place until 8pm on Wednesday across coastal areas of Wales and Northern Ireland, including Belfast, and all of southern Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Strengthening southerly winds will bring gusts of 40mph to 50mph inland and possibly 50mph to 60mph in more exposed places, the Met Office said.

Delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely in these areas with some bus and train services affected, and large waves in coastal spots.

Flooding is also possible, with 22 alerts in place and the Environment Agency warning that local coastal and river flooding is probable in parts of Norfolk and Suffolk on Thursday and Friday.

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Storm Darragh, the fourth named storm of the season, saw millions warned to stay indoors, tens of thousands left without power and trains cancelled.

Two men were killed during the storm by falling trees hitting their vehicles with another being swept away by a swollen river.

A Met Office spokesperson said: “Gusts of 50 to 60 mph are possible in some areas, and potentially higher in more exposed places. This may cause difficult travelling conditions, especially on higher level and north-south routes.”

The winds come before a sharp drop in temperature on Thursday with sunshine and showers.

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The forecaster says it will be milder again from Friday but will be “changeable and often windy”, with further spells of rain.

Here’s a look at the five-day weather forecast:

Today:

A murky mild start in the south with strong winds, strongest being across the Pennines and exposed western coasts with rain spreading eastwards later. Turning colder in the north and west with blustery showers turning wintry over high ground.

Tonight:

Heavy rain spreads across the south through the night. Clears into the North Sea by dawn. Cold in the north under clear skies which can lead to a ground frost.

Thursday:

Early cloud clearing the southeast through the morning leaving sunny spells. Frequent showers continuing in the north. Feeling cold in brisk northwesterly winds

Outlook for Friday to Sunday:

Turning milder once again from Friday but staying changeable and often windy, with further spells of rain.