Storm Bert latest: Amber weather warnings and travel disruption

Chris Fawkes
BBC Weather presenter

Some power cuts are quite likely today as the snow
will come down in big wet chunky flakes – this type of snow is much more likely
to stick to power cables and tree branches which may snap under the extra
weight of the snow plunging some communities into darkness.

Winds are an additional hazard with Bert, top gusts have
already reached 67mph at St Mary’s, Scilly and also at Berry Head, Devon.

The
strongest winds will be across western coasts of the UK today and I would
expect the winds to strengthen further through the day, reaching well into the
70s mph later.

Meanwhile, gales will spread inland to affect many areas, these
winds will be strong enough to bring down some tree branches, so could cause
some localised disruption.

Storm Bert will also bring extremely heavy rain to parts
of Wales and southwest England, with up to 150mm over high ground.

It’s the
build up of rain, incessant for many hours that will do the damage with some
flooding impacts likely later today and into Sunday.