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UK weather: Storm Atiyah triggers flight cancellations as Britain battered by 83mph gales

Storm Atiyah is due to hit this Sunday, sparking weather warnings: Getty Images
Storm Atiyah is due to hit this Sunday, sparking weather warnings: Getty Images

More strong winds are forecast to hit Britain today after severe gales battered the southwest and northeast overnight, with the Met Office warning of power outages and travel disruption.

The Met Office issued a wind warning for northeast regions until midday, saying spray and large waves could affect coastal areas, while a warning for rain in western Scotland has been issued for Tuesday.

The alert said travel is likely to take longer in the area and short term loss of power is also possible.

Nicky Maxey from the Met Office said Monday will be a “blustery day”, but it is the northeast that will see the strongest winds.

The southwest was buffered overnight by gales of up to 70mph, while in Ireland more than a dozen flights at Cork Airport were either cancelled or diverted.

Monday's warning running from Middlesbrough to Norwich predicts very strong winds until 12.30pm.

The Isle of Wight saw the fastest winds speeds across the UK overnight, which peaked at 83mph, according to Ms Maxey.

Aberdaron on the western tip of Wales saw winds of up to 77mph between Sunday evening and Monday morning as the storm swept in from Ireland, where it has disrupted transport and power networks.

Storm Atiyah, named by the Irish meteorological service Met Eireann, is the first named storm of the season.

A second strong storm is expected to hit Britain on Tuesday, with wind gusts potentially reaching 100mph.

The Met Office has forecast England and Scotland will be “windy across all areas” with severe gales possible in the northwest.

The extreme winds follow last month’s severe flooding, which badly hit parts of the north and the Midlands following bouts of torrential rain.

Some areas saw a month’s rainfall in just 24 hours in November.

Additional reporting by Press Association

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