Heavy rain and thunderstorms cause hazardous conditions for drivers across the UK

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are set to cause hazardous conditions for drivers in the UK this weekend as bad weather looks set to blight the country over the next couple of days.

Forecasters today issued wind warnings as many Brits woke up to unseasonably wet weather this morning, with commuters and travellers being urged not to travel.

Several festivals and events have been cancelled following the warnings and the Met Office said westerly regions will be hit first as it issued a yellow wind warning beginning on Friday afternoon, covering West Wales, Devon and Cornwall, and stretching to parts of the Channel coast. 

A second warning will then come into force on Saturday covering the whole of Wales and southern and central England as far north as Blackpool, Huddersfield and Grimsby. 

The warnings come as the Derbyshire village of Whaley Bridge was once again warned of poor weather conditions yesterday after 1,500 residents were recently allowed home after the damaged Toddbrook Reservoir was deemed safe.

Today got off to a very wet start and the unseasonable weather could put a dampener on tourists at Windsor Castle (above)

Gales of up to 60mph are set to batter Britain between today and Saturday leading to warnings being issued to caravan users and lorry drivers

Gales of up to 60mph are set to batter Britain between today and Saturday leading to warnings being issued to caravan users and lorry drivers

One woman in Blackpool was more than prepared for the wet weather this morning as she sported a leopard print umbrella while walking along Blackpool Prom

One woman in Blackpool was more than prepared for the wet weather this morning as she sported a leopard print umbrella while walking along Blackpool Prom

A spokesperson for the Met Office said there is some fairly heavy rain and thunderstorms from Bristol, up through Wales and into Northern Ireland.

‘That will transfer eastwards over the next few hours, causing poor driving conditions in places.

‘This low-pressure system will bring challenging conditions, including unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain, from the west during Friday and Saturday.

‘Summer storms – compared with those in autumn and winter – always have the potential to create additional impacts because more people are likely to be outdoors, especially by the coast.

‘Additionally with trees in full leaf they are more vulnerable to being brought down by strong winds.’

The Met Office had previously described the conditions as ‘more like autumn than August’ and forecast winds of up to 60mph in some places.

Brollies at the ready! The wet weather swept the UK today and one woman was pictured walking across a bridge in Windsor this morning

Brollies at the ready! The wet weather swept the UK today and one woman was pictured walking across a bridge in Windsor this morning 

Wet wet wet! Today the Met said heavy showers would be followed by strengthening winds across the country

Wet wet wet! Today the Met said heavy showers would be followed by strengthening winds across the country 

Lovely weather for duck (or swans) today in Windsor as the summer seems to have stopped today to make way for wet conditions

Lovely weather for duck (or swans) today in Windsor as the summer seems to have stopped today to make way for wet conditions 

Northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland may also be hit by thunderstorms over the weekend.

Richard Leonard, head of road safety at Highways England, urged drivers to check conditions before they travel and ‘consider if their journey is necessary’.

‘In high winds, there’s a particular risk to lorries, caravans and motorbikes so we’d advise drivers of these vehicles to slow down and avoid using exposed sections of road if possible,’ he said.

The RNLI has also warned people visiting the coast to beware of large waves and storms.

In Scotland rail passengers faced severe disruption on Thursday when Winchburgh Tunnel, near Broxburn in West Lothian, flooded following 50mm of rainfall the previous day.

Trains between Edinburgh and Glasgow and Dunblane were delayed or cancelled for almost 24 hours.

Yesterday tourists and holidaymakers were warned to beware the roads this weekend with 60mph gales and storms set to batter Britain.

Grey and gloomy! Throughout the evening most of the UK was hit by rain. Windsor looked quiet this morning (pictured above)

Grey and gloomy! Throughout the evening most of the UK was hit by rain. Windsor looked quiet this morning (pictured above)

Caravan users, motorcyclists and lorry drivers have been told by transport chiefs to only drive if absolutely necessary due to the risk the winds pose to their vehicles.  

This is while many festivals were cancelled due to strong winds such as the three-day St Annes International Kite Festival in Fylde, Lancashire. 

Heavy rain earlier in the week is already causing flooding problems in Scotland, with one cyclist spotted struggling to make their way through standing water on a road near Edinburgh. 

It comes as the odds have been cut on August being the wettest on record – following the hottest July ever recorded worldwide.  

Yellow weather warnings for rain and wind will come in to force across large swathes of the UK today and Saturday with heavy downpours .  

Fylde Council made the decision to stop the kite festival after judging the safety risks  is as ‘too great’.

Thousands of enthusiasts planning on attending the St Annes International Kite Festival have been left disappointed by the news.

Many have expressed disbelief that an event which relies on wind has been cancelled for that very reason.

Posting on Facebook, Chris Hembury sarcastically said: ‘Last thing you want is a windy day if you’re flying kites…’, while Craig Michael Birtwistle added: ‘Too windy for kites?’

Disgruntled Karim Haj saidi: ‘The weather men never get it right, even with all the technology and satellites they have.’ 

A Fylde Council spokesman said: ‘We are very sorry to announce that due to severe weather warnings that have been issue by the Met Office for this weekend, we have to cancel the St Annes Kite Festival.

‘This decision has not been made lightly, and following discussions with the organisers and kite fliers, the health and safety risk is simply too great to go ahead. We sincerely apologise and hope that you will join us for future kite festivals.’ 

A planned air show is still scheduled to go ahead.    

Organisers of the Houghton Festival, which takes place in Norfolk and offers a range of musical acts, revealed they were axing what would have been their third annual event.

A spokesperson wrote on Facebook: ‘Tragically, following this morning’s reports and further consultation with authorities, health and safety and all the festival directors, the decision has been made to cancel Houghton 2019.

‘We are utterly devastated. All the hard work, love and creativity that has gone into planning and producing this year’s event made this an almost impossible decision to make.

‘This was set to be a wonderful weekend and the boldest step we have ever taken as a festival. However, nothing is more important than the safety of our customers, staff and performers, which would be compromised if we were to go ahead.’

Boardmasters music festival in Newquay, Cornwall, was cancelled at the 11th hour in anticipation of the bad weather, affecting 50,000 revellers, some who had already set off on long journeys to the site.

While performances at the event, which included slots from stars such as Wu-Tang Clan, Florence + The Machine and Foals, were not due to begin until Friday, doors were set to open to visitors on Wednesday.

In a statement posted on Twitter at 11pm on Tuesday, the festival said ‘we sincerely regret the disappointment to fans, and apologise for any disruption caused to local businesses’.

It added: ‘The safety of you, the fans and attendees, as well as performers and crew comes first.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk