20-mile tailbacks on M4 as bridge closes and ferries cancelled in high winds – live

There are major delays on the M4 on Friday afternoon because the M48 Severn Bridge has been closed by high winds. Warnings have been issued as the weather across the UK becomes increasingly mild but wet and windy.

A spell of strong winds and rain has been affecting the west on Friday with a yellow alert for high winds across coastal areas for most of the day. The M48 Severn Crossing has been closed for most of the day and there are restrictions on the M4 Briton Ferry and Britannia bridges. The Severn closure is causing long delays on the M4 this afternoon.

Traffic monitors are showing congestion to the M4 in both directions with the eastbound side very slow all the way back past junction 28 (Tredegar Park) and the westbound side stop-start all the way back to junction 19 (Bristol) as drivers divert. There were homes without power in Gwynedd, Anglesey, and Denbighshire and some ferries from Holyhead have been cancelled.

The alert for winds was in place until 3pm and says: "Southerly winds will increase on Friday morning with gusts of 50-60mph likely for exposed coasts and hills of western Britain. Some parts of the warning area may see gusts of 70mph for a time. Winds ease from the west during the afternoon."

Saturday looks the better day of the weekend before more warnings for wind and rain come into place on Sunday. You can find more detail on that here.

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