Met Office warns injuries and danger to life 'likely' as Storm Ashley hits UK

Injuries and danger to life are 'likely' as heavy rain and 80mph winds of Storm Ashley batter the UK on Sunday, with downpours also expected in Greater Manchester, the Met Office has said.

Road users in Scotland have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel where possible, while the annual Great South Run in Portsmouth, Hampshire, has been cancelled because of weather-related safety concerns.

The Met Office has issued several weather warnings for wind during the upcoming storm, including an amber warning for the north-west of Scotland from 9am until midnight, and a yellow warning for the entirety of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and parts of north-west England and Wales between 3am and midnight.

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A further yellow warning for wind has also been issued for Monday between midnight and 9am for northern Scotland, including Orkney and Shetland.

In coastal areas, injuries and danger to life are “likely” because of large waves and beach material being thrown onto roads and properties, the weather service warned.

Despite the wet and windy weather, temperatures are expected to climb to highs of 17C in southern England on Sunday, Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud said. He continued: "The strongest winds are likely to come through during the course of tomorrow afternoon.

"It is going to be quite a bright afternoon but it’s going to be very windy and gusty out there, especially in the north of the country so don’t be sort of lulled into a false sense of security.”

He added that the “very strong, severe gales” on Sunday coincide with high spring tides, which could also result in “very large waves”.

Outside of the warning zones, the