Be braced for 80mph storms

GALES of up to 80mph are expected to batter Britain this weekend and snow could fall in places – just as it was revealed the country enjoyed record daytime temperatures in February.

Storm Freya will sweep in tomorrow afternoon, bringing dangerous conditions and travel disruption until Monday evening.

Forecasters warned winds could be severe enough to endanger lives due to flying debris and large waves. Damage to buildings is also possible, as well as power cuts.

the Met Office issued a severe weather warning – shortly before it announced the average daytime peak temperature last month had been 10C (50F). the previous high, set in 1998, was 9.8C (49.6F).

But that will seem a distant memory this weekend when Freya blasts in. A Met Office spokesman said: ‘Freya will bring strong winds across large parts of the country from 3pm on Sunday until 6pm on Monday.

‘We’re looking at gusts of 55-65mph and up to 80mph in exposed coastal locations like Devon, Cornwall, parts of north Wales and up to Cumbria.’ He warned of ‘some quite intense rainfall’ and snow in the Pennines.