Stormy Weather Shuts Down Xmas Lights Switch-On

Glasgow's Christmas lights switch-on has been cancelled as wild weather is set to hit parts of the UK over the weekend.

The Met Office is predicting strong winds and heavy rain, prompting severe weather warnings for North Wales, northwest England, southwest Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Some communities are being told to prepare for localised river flooding as rain falls on already saturated soil.

The stormy weather is the remnants of Hurricane Kate, and comes in the wake of Storm Abigail which swept over Britain on Thursday night.

Organisers of Glasgow’s Christmas lights event said the weather forecast forced them to call off Sunday night’s festivities.

"With a weather warning in place for further significant wind and rain over the weekend, public safety issues have been raised. As a result we've taken the difficult decision to cancel the event," a spokesman for Glasgow Life said.

There are no plans to restage the event.

Storm Abigail left thousands of people without power and closed schools in Shetland and the Western Isles on Friday.

The Highlands and Islands were lashed by gusts of up to 84mph while the rest of the UK experienced thundery showers.

The Met Office says exposed parts of North Wales and northwest England could experience rain falls of up to 8in (200mm) over Saturday and Sunday.

It warns that several rivers are likely to burst their banks, causing localised flooding.

The warning was echoed by the Environment Agency.

Director of incident management Craig Woolhouse said: "River levels across northern England are already high and are expected to rise with this further heavy rainfall, bringing with them a significant risk of flooding.

"We are working closely with the emergency services and partners to prepare ahead of the weekend."

Motorists are being advised not to drive on flooded roads, where the depth of water may be difficult to determine.