UK weather: 65mph winds as tail end of Hurricane Lorenzo hits Britain

Parts of Britain face winds gusting at 65mph today as the remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo pass over the country, before two inches of rain falls in as little as six hours this weekend.The wettest and windiest weather today will be in South West England and South Wales, before showers fall across the country over the weekend – with the heaviest rain expected for eastern areas on Sunday.The Met Office issued an 18-hour severe rain warning for eastern Britain and Scotland for Sunday, amid warnings that many parts will see up to 1.2in (30mm) of rain with up to 2in (50mm) in some places within just six hours.  Waves crash against the harbour wall at Porthcawl in South Wales this morning as the remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo arrive Ganaa Devee, a surfer from Mongolia, watches the waves along the seafront at Lahinch in County Clare, Ireland, this morning Huge waves hit the harbour wall at Porthcawl as the remnants from Hurricane Lorenzo arrive in South Wales this morning Waves crash against the sea wall at Lahinch in County Clare this morning on the west coast of the Republic of Ireland Huge waves whipped up by the remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo smash against the seafront at Ilfracombe in Devon today Surfers make the most of the waves near Bournemouth Pier in Dorset today amid the severe weather conditions A woman braves the elements in Leeds city centre last night (left), while a man and woman get soaked in the rain (right) A plane lands during heavy rain at Leeds Bradford Airport in West Yorkshire last night amid stormy conditionsForecasters said spray and flooding on roads could increase journey times for drivers, while train services could be affected. The Met Office added that power cuts and flooding of some homes and businesses are both ‘likely’.The storm front from Lorenzo arrived in the South West this morning amid concern it could bring traffic delays and power cuts, having passed west of Ireland yesterday and close to the Azores earlier in the week. Met Office meteorologist Bonnie Diamond said: ‘Quite a windy day in south Wales and south-west England as the remnants of Storm Lorenzo move south-eastwards from Ireland, though by this stage a weak feature.’Some rain and drizzle will accompany the wind in these parts, though it’ll turn drier later in the day. It’ll be brightest with some sunshine in northern Scotland, particularly the Northern Isles.’Storm conditions feature in the South West and South Wales this morning (left), while it will also rain this afternoon (right)Temperatures tomorrow (left) and on Sunday (right) will get up to 16C (61F) in southern England and WalesFor the rest of England and Wales, Friday’s outlook is fairly autumnal, with some clouds and outbreaks of rain, alongside some sunny spells at times.The Environment Agency has imposed 21 flood alerts and five alerts across England – mostly in the Midlands and North West – although this is a significant reduction from earlier in the week when there were more than 250.The RNLI feared many people will be lining quaysides and clifftops to take selfies and film clips on their phones with huge waves as a backdrop, and warned of the risk of death if people are swept into the sea in the process.Officials are urging people to stay well away from the edges of cliffs, piers, harbour walls and promenades. A man watches the waves along the seafront at Lahinch in County Clare on the west coast of Ireland this morning Kite surfers near Sandbanks in Dorset make the most of the gusty conditions in parts of Britain today Surfers near Bournemouth Pier in Dorset today make the most of the strong waves amid the windy conditions Photographers take pictures are huge waves crash against the harbour wall at Porthcawl in South Wales this morning A woman struggles with her coat along the seafront at Lahinch in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland this morning Waves crash into Porthcawl in South Wales today, which is where the wettest and windiest weather will be seen in Britain Two women and a man walk along a soaked pavement in Leeds last night as the city is hit by heavy downpoursPeople take cover in Leeds last night as the West Yorkshire city faces heavy rain amid miserable conditionsThe charity tweeted: ‘If you are heading to the coast please take care around exposed areas as big waves can quickly sweep you off your feet! See someone in trouble? Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.’ Met Office rain warning  RAIN — Sunday, October 6 — Midnight to 6pmHeavy rain may cause some transport disruption and flooding in places on Sunday.What to expect:Spray and flooding on roads probably making journey times longerBus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longerFlooding of a few homes and businesses is likelySome interruption to power supplies and other services likelyHeavy rain is expected across parts of Scotland during Saturday night before extending to northern and eastern England during Sunday. Within the warning area many parts will see 15-30 mm of rain during Sunday with the potential for as much as 40-50 mm in places, much of this falling in a 6 hour period. At this stage, there is still some uncertainty regarding the location of where the heaviest rain will occur. Steve Instance, RNLI community safety manager for the South West England, said: ‘We’re expecting more strong winds to hit throughout Friday, bringing with it rough sea conditions.’Those heading to the coast to take photographs of the conditions should make sure that they don’t get too close. Strong winds and heavy rain will make the cliff paths treacherous and extra care should be taken when coastal walking. ‘We would advise people to stay out of the water. The four beaches across the south-west that have a lifeguard service on Friday are likely to be showing the red flag and these conditions will extend to almost all beaches along both north and south coasts.’Mr Instance added: ‘We are fortunate that we no longer have the large tides which brought with them all the flooding issues last week, but there will still be large surges associated with the big swell.’During similar conditions last Friday, RNLI lifeguards rescued four surfers from the water at St Agnes beach in Cornwall. Shortly before the incident, RNLI lifeguards on duty had made the decision to fly the red flag due to the large surf and strong onshore winds.In the Republic of Ireland, nearly 20,000 homes lost power although 12,000 had it restored overnight. Wind gusts of up to 60mph were recorded in the country, but there was no impact on flights at Dublin Airport.The Irish Coast Guard appealed to the public to exercise caution during Storm Lorenzo and not attempt to take photographs near coastal areas in case they are exposed to sudden waves or high winds.