STRONG winds and heavy rain are expected to hit parts of east Wales and the West Country as Storm Amy wings in today.

While the local area will escape the worst of the storm, the Met office have warned that it is expected to rain for most of today with gusting winds of over 40mph expected here between 4pm and 7pm.

Tomorrow is expected to be mainly dry with sunny intervals, but gusts of up to nearly 50mph can be expected in some places between 8am and 3pm.

Met Office Amber warnings for wind have been issued as Storm Amy which is expected to have its biggest impact in Scotland, Northern Ireland, northwest England and northwest Wales.

An Amber warning for wind has been issued for northern and western parts of Scotland which comes into force from 5pm on Friday and will be active until 7am on Saturday.

A separate Amber warning has been issued for the western half of Northern Ireland, valid from 3pm to 8pm on Friday.

The warnings highlight a danger to life, the possibility of power cuts, travel disruption and particularly dangerous conditions near coasts.

Met Office Chief Forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “Within the Scotland amber warning area, gusts in excess of 95mph are possible from Friday evening and into Saturday morning as Stormy Amy brings a risk of power cuts and damage to buildings and trees.

“Gusts up to 80 mph are possible within the Northern Ireland warning area, more widely 60-70 mph gusts are expected in the Amber warning areas, in what will be an impactful autumn storm for many in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“Rainfall is an additional hazard, in particular over western Scotland, where totals could exceed 30-50mm in 6-9 hours, increasing the risk of flooding for some.

“Warnings will continue to be tweaked and amended in the coming days as confidence increases so stay up to date with the latest Met Office forecast and warnings.”

See https://www.metoffice.gov.uk for the latest information.