Hour-by-hour Met Office forecast ahead of Christmas travel chaos with 'severe' weather warnings issued

People driving home for Christmas have been told to travel safely after the Met Office warned of potentially severe disruptions in the run up to the big day. According to forecasters, heavy rain and strong winds will see a few days of 'unsettled' conditions.

Saturday and Sunday are projected to see the worst of the weather with two yellow weather warnings already issued for the weekend across Scotland, most of the north west, including Greater Manchester, and parts of Ireland and Wales.

The first weather warning of wind is in place from 7am on Saturday to midnight, covering Manchester, the North West and nearly all of Scotland. The second weather warning, in place on Sunday, covers all of Wales, the west coast of England including Greater Manchester, and all of Scotland.

The strong and 'prolonged' winds over the weekend, with gusts reaching 50 to 60 mph, are likely to cause significant delays or cancellations to transport, including on roads and to buses and trains. There could also be short term loss of power, with showers likely with some hail and thunder possible in places.

The Met Office said: "This has the potential to cause delays to public transport and some disruption to the road network, which may have a greater than usual impact given the busier pre-Christmas weekend travel.

"As always, we ask travellers to plan their journeys before setting off to ensure they reach their festive celebrations in good time."

As Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Rebekah Hicks, added: “This period of disruptive weather coincides with a busy period on UK roads as the festive getaway starts for many.

"The strongest winds are expected across northern Scotland on Saturday afternoon and evening, with the potential for gusts of 80 to 85 mph