Wales to be hit by heavy rain and 80mph gales
WALES is set to experience a wet and windy start to the new year, the Met Office has said as it issues two weather warnings for the start of the working week.
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the whole country which lasts from just after midnight Wednesday until 10pm.
Gusts of up to 80mph could batter Wales tomorrow and there are warnings it could affect public transport and cause road and bridge closures.
A swathe of strengthening winds are expected to affect England and Wales, arriving in the west before pushing eastwards during the early hours of the morning.
Gusts of 50 to 60mph are likely, the Met Office warned with wind speeds of up to 80mph potentially affecting coastal areas in the west and south.
Residents living in coastal communities are being warned that strong winds, combined with a period of high tides, could mean large waves and beach material could be thrown onto seafronts, roads and coastal properties which could result in injuries or danger to life.
There is also a small chance that there could be disruption to power and other services.
Forecasters predict heavy rain during the early hours of tomorrow in Porthcawl, Cardiff, Holyhead and Aberystwyth, but drier weather in Bangor.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said conditions around the coast were likely to be “very dangerous” over the next few days with an increased risk of flooding, particularly on the south-east coastline around Monmouthshire and Newport, coastal areas in Swansea and Carmarthenshire and the entire north Wales coastline.
The environment body said the first high tides were expected on the south Wales coast at around 7pm tonight and at 11pm in north Wales and that the risk would also apply to high tides tomorrow.
Ceri Jones said NRW would be keeping an eye on the situation, with staff on the ground in vulnerable areas, and added: “Our advice is to keep at a safe distance from the coast, and from piers and promenades which will be particularly exposed. Large waves could overtop defences and throw up debris – this could easily cause injury or knock you off your feet.”
Andy Page, Met Office Chief Forecaster, said: “The unsettled theme continues throughout this week, with further spells of rain moving across the UK from the west as many return to work on Tuesday, and there will again be some snow over the high ground in Scotland.
“The wind will pick up again later on Tuesday and Wednesday is expected to be very windy across England and Wales, with gales or severe gales in places. The gales, combined with locally thundery downpours may make driving difficult and cause some disruption.”