Storm-force winds set to batter UK again

The warning comes after a man died and three people were badly hurt when a car left an icy road and overturned in a ditch near Hull at the weekend.

The 48-year-old, who has not been named, was killed when a grey Volvo S60 failed to negotiate a bend on the A1033 Hedon bypass at 5.20am on Saturday. A woman aged 28 suffered life-threatening injuries and two local men also in the car suffered serious injuries.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for strong winds and heavy rain tonight for most of England, with the South East expected to be hit hard.

Windy weather is expected to continue into tomorrow, with the potential for “severe gales” or storm-force winds across Northern Ireland and the southern half of Britain. There could also be frequent, heavy showers, bringing the risk of surface water flooding.

But Aisling Creevey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said it was too early to tell where the winds would hit. She said the country could expect winds of between 80mph and 100mph, below the wind speeds of up to 165mph that were recorded during the worst of last week’s storm.

“It is very difficult to know at this stage where exactly the storms are going to be,” she said.

“There’s a system coming through on Tuesday and again on Thursday – it looks as if they will be two stormy days.

“We could see gusts of 100mph in some places – but there is very little confidence about exactly where.”

A Met Office spokesman added: “Strong winds on Monday evening have the potential to cause some disruption, especially in areas exposed to the south. In addition, rain will turn persistent and heavy, bringing the risk of surface water flooding over south-west England and Wales.

“At this stage there is some uncertainty and the public are advised to monitor forecasts.”