Weather warnings in place as strong winds and heavy rain batter UK
Strong winds and heavy showers continue to batter England and Wales after unsettled weather overnight.
The Met Office's yellow weather warning for wind, which came into force at 9pm on Wednesday, is in place until 3pm on Thursday.
Some homes across Wales are without power on Thursday morning as gusts of up to 86mph were recorded overnight.
Travel disruption is likely across the UK with many reports of road closures due to fallen trees and power lines.
In Wales, the Severn Bridge and Cleddau Bridge have been closed in both directions, while a 30mph speed limit has been imposed on the Britannia Bridge on Anglesey. Trains have also been suspended between Pontypridd, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil due to a fallen tree.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is continuing to urge people be careful when visiting exposed cliffs, seafronts or piers due to the “severe safety risk” caused by the wind, which will be accompanied by heavy showers.
The charity’s head of water safety Gareth Morrison said earlier this week: “In a normal year around 150 people lose their lives at the coast and we know that more than half of those never intended to be in the water.
“So, whether you are walking, running or cycling at the coast, please be extra responsible and avoid taking unnecessary risks or entering the water.”
There are no weather warnings in place for the weekend as the wind and heavy rain is expected to ease.
Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: “The weekend is set to have an unsettled start but nothing usual for the time of year.”
He added: “We could see some strong winds during the early hours of Saturday morning and lots of heavy showers around particularly in the west.
“But as we go head into Sunday they should become less frequent and not quite as heavy, so it is an unsettled start but as the weekend goes on the winds will start to ease a little bit.”