A rare red “danger to life” wind warning has been issued by the Met Office for parts of Wales and South West England on Saturday as Storm Darragh hits the UK.
Some 130 flood alerts have been issued. A Met Office amber alert is warning of “potentially damaging” winds along the west coast of the UK from South Ayrshire in Scotland down to Cornwall, as well as in Northern Ireland, on Saturday from 3am until 9pm.
Snow could also hit hilly areas of northern England on Saturday.
A yellow warning for wind is in place for London and the rest of England from 3pm on Friday until 6am on Sunday.
Gusts of around 50mph are forecast to buffet the capital throughout the period.
Meanwhile a yellow warning for rain will be in place for Northern Ireland and Wales, which were badly affected by flooding during Storm Bert, from 3pm on Friday until 12pm on Saturday.
Up to 60mm of rain could fall in these areas during the warning period, which may lead to some flooding and disruption, forecasters said.
Rhondda Cynon Taf, where between 200 and 300 properties were flooded during Storm Bert last month, is set to be hit by heavy rain once again.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has issued more than 30 flood alerts and warnings, while the Environment Agency (EA) in England has more than 20 red flood warnings in place, which mean flooding is expected and residents and business owners should “act now”.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud told the PA News Agency the weather service is “a bit concerned” about the risk of flooding in parts of Wales and Northern Ireland where there is “heightened sensitivity” due to recent heavy rainfall.