Storm Agnes: Where and when will it hit different parts of the UK?

The first named storm of the season is set to hit the UK on Wednesday, with weather warnings in place for strong winds and rain.

The Met Office said Storm Agnes will "rapidly intensify" and make Wednesday a widely windy day across the UK, with the Irish Sea coasts - including parts of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland - bracing for heavy rain and gusts.

A yellow weather warning for wind for much of the northwest of the UK has been issued by the Met Office, as well as yellow weather warnings for rain across parts of Scotland.

Footage caught flights making their way into Belfast City Airport battling against the wind on their way down to the runway. Dublin airport said it is operating normally, but had received a number of flights that had been diverted from Kerry Airport.

Cork airport has experienced some delays and cancellations, and a spokesperson from Belfast City airport said disruption to schedules across the UK due to the weather is “likely”.

The forecaster has warned that Storm Agnes is undergoing 'explosive cyclogenesis', which occurs when there's a rapid fall of pressure inside the centre of the low pressure and can lead to "violent winds developing."

When and where will Storm Agnes hit the UK?

The centre of low pressure of Storm Agnes moved over the Atlantic on Tuesday as it approached the UK, a Met Office spokesperson told ITV News.

The Met Office's yellow weather warning for wind starts at 12pm on Wednesday and ends at 7am on Thursday. 

Storm Agnes is expected to affect anywhere around the Irish Sea, including southwest and the north of England, and most of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

People in these areas can expect winds to pick up throughout Wednesday morning and afternoon, with the strongest winds expected on the Irish Sea coasts in the afternoon.

Gusts of up to 60mph are expected, with exposed areas on the coastline possibly facing 60-75mph winds.

There is also a small chance of several coastal places seeing around 80mph winds.

These areas will also see steady, heavy rain and big waves on the coasts.

Met Office forecasts show the centre of low pressure to be over Northern Ireland at around 6pm on Wednesday and as the storm moves north-westwards in the afternoon and evening, there is a yellow weather warning for rain in Scotland.

Southwest Scotland could see 30-50mm of rain on Wednesday afternoon, with the possibility of 60mm in the higher grounds of Scotland.

When will Storm Agnes end?

Storm Agnes will clear and move away from the UK on Thursday morning, with the Met Office's yellow weather warning for wind ending at 7am.

It will however remain windy in the north of Scotland throughout Thursday.

Following Storm Agnes, rain will move into southern areas of the UK late on Thursday and into Friday, with some heavy bursts possible for some areas of England and Wales.

However, a ridge of high pressure from the south is expected to bring more settled weather for the weekend.

Storm Agnes is set to hit western regions of the UK and Ireland on Wednesday

What do the Storm Agnes yellow weather warnings mean?

The Met Office issues weather warnings when storms and extreme weather has the potential to cause disruption and danger.

The warning for wind across much of the north and west of the UK on Wednesday means there is a risk of:

• Injuries and danger to life from flying debris.

• Some damage to buildings, such as tiles blown from roofs.

• Some power cuts.

• Road, rail, air and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations possible.

• A chance of minor flooding of coastal roads.

The warning for rain in Scotland runs from 3pm until 11.59pm on Wednesday and means flooding is expected in places, with bus and train services likely to be affected.

Why has Storm Agnes been named?

In the UK, a decision to name a storm is based on strength of winds and the resulting impacts.

The decision is made by the chief meteorologist at the Met Office, which collaborates with other weather organisations in northern Europe, especially Met Eireann (Irish Met Office).

Storms can occur at any time of the year, such as when Storm Antoni brought gusts of near 80mph in August.

The new storm season starts again in September, hence Storm Agnes being the first named storm of the season.

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