Falling trees, riptides and power cuts will pose risks as Storm Antoni lashes the UK with heavy rain and strong winds, the Met Office says.
Antoni – the first named storm of the year – will bring gusts of up to 60mph in the worst-affected areas, with forecasters issuing a danger to life warning.
Amber warnings for wind are in place until 7pm in southwest Wales and southwest England, while a wider yellow warning for wind across southern parts of the UK lasts until 8pm.
A yellow thunderstorm warning has also been issued until 10pm for south east England and East Anglia
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According to the Met Office, Storm Antoni will be “potentially disruptive” as it moves from west to east – and it is likely some roads and bridges will need to close.
Senior operational meteorologist at the Met Office, Rachel Ayers, said the conditions could be attributed to the jet stream – a fast-flowing current of air – bringing in a low-pressure system across the UK.
Ms Ayers said: “We’re currently on the northern, cooler side of the jet… keeping the more settled weather further south.”
Image: Coastal areas were hit hard
However, she was more optimistic about the coming week, saying it could be warmer and more settled than what the UK has experienced over the past month.
Few parts of the UK will escape downpours, cloud and cold conditions – with low pressure persisting following the sixth-wettest July in history.
Chief meteorologist Steve Willington said: “Northern Ireland is likely to see some of the highest rainfall totals, with 40 to 60mm falling in some spots, but 20 to 30mm more widely.
“Away from the warning area many will still see a very wet day, especially in north Wales and north England.”
Some outdoor events planned for this weekend have been cancelled, with Dorset jazz festival Stompin’ on the Quomps postponed for the first time in its 30-year history.
About 10,000 people were expected to attend, but organisers were concerned for the safety of both traders and spectators alike.
However, one event that is going ahead is Brighton Pride despite a yellow weather warning being issued for the coastal city.
Revellers gathered on the wet streets cloaked in ponchos as performers waltzed through the streets despite the heavy rain and winds.
NHS nurse Leo Gonzales travelled from London to the festival, and despite getting “drenched”, he said everyone was having “fun [in an] engaging and inclusive” environment.
Antoni is the second storm to cross the UK in five days – and although temperatures are set to hit the mid-teens, it won’t feel like it.
Winds are set to ease as the afternoon progresses, with rain clearing from eastern areas early on Sunday to leave a quieter day with sunshine and showers for most.
Two motorways have been shut after human remains were found on the road.
Several drivers reported a body on the carriageway between junctions 20 and 21 of the M4 – between Almondsbury and Awkley – at about 6.40pm this evening.
The body is believed to be that of a man in his forties, whose next of kin have been told.
A police investigation to establish how the person came to be on the motorway continues.
Parts of the M4 and M48 motorways near Bristol are likely to remain closed until the early hours of Sunday morning, Avon and Somerset Police said.
In a statement, the force said: “Police are keen to hear from anyone who was travelling along that stretch of the M4 has any relevant information or dashcam footage.”
The road closures were likely to cause significant delays in and out of Wales tonight, with closures starting on the English side of the Prince of Wales Bridge and the Severn Bridge.
Sir Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to stand by Ukraine with a security guarantee as he warned a bad peace deal would be a “disaster for everyone”.
The prime minister is due to meet the US president for talks in Washington DC next week amid fragile relations between America and Europe after Mr Trump launched a verbal attack on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The US president called Ukraine’s leader a “dictator” on Wednesday and later said Sir Keir and French President Emmanuel Macron, both of whom will visit the White House in the coming days, “haven’t done anything” to end the war.
Image: Sir Keir Starmer met with European leaders in Paris on Monday to discuss Ukraine. Pic: Reuters
Sir Keir said a good peace “can only be won through strength” and Ukraine “must have a voice in negotiations about its future”.
And he warned that a “peace deal which does not stop Putin from attacking again would be a disaster for everyone”.
Writing in The Sun on Sunday, he said Kyiv needs strong security guarantees “so the peace will last” and America “must be part of that guarantee”.
This could mean providing air defence and a promise that the US will come to the aid of a NATO country if Russia attacks them, the paper reported.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said “any negotiations about Ukraine cannot happen without Ukraine. We all want the fighting to end, but an insecure peace risks more war”.
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Will Trump and Starmer have a ‘Love Actually’ moment?
‘Turn the screws’ on Russia
The third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is on Monday.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said he will unveil new sanctions to “turn the screws” on Russia on Monday to coincide with the anniversary.
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Sir Keir also said the UK must increase its defence spending and play a bigger role in NATO.
And he is open to British troops playing a role in any European force in Ukraine after a peace agreement.
He added: “This is not something I say lightly.”
Sir Keir, along with other European allies and UK opposition parties, has backed Mr Zelensky as a “democratically elected leader”.
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Conflicting views over Ukraine deal
Also, Washington has warned that Europe must shoulder more of the cost of its own security.
Sir Keir is expected to use his upcoming trip to the US to confirm a timeline to raise UK defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in a bid to ease tensions.
It comes amid pressure from defence chiefs and opposition critics including Tory leader KemiBadenoch, who wrote to the prime minister on Saturday demanding he set out a plan for meeting the target.
:: Education secretary Bridget Phillipson, campaigner for global health and education Sarah Brown, and shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge will be discussing all the latest political stories in the UK and around the world on the Trevor Phillips on Sunday show on Sky News from 8.30am
A three-year-old girl has died after a collision between a tram and a van in Manchester city centre.
The girl was taken to hospital but died from her injuries, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
“No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing,” the force said.
The child was a pedestrian and was not travelling in either the tram or van, GMP said.
The fatal collision happened on Mosley Street shortly before 10am, a Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) spokesperson said.
“All of our thoughts are with her family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. We are supporting police with their investigation,” a statement said.
A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said two ambulances, a rapid response vehicle and two air ambulance crews attended the scene.
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TfGM said there was continued disruption across the Metrolink after the incident and advised people to check the Bee Network website and app for the latest travel information.
Manchester‘s Bee Network said: “Due to a road traffic collision on Mosley Street in the city centre, no tram services are operating between St Peter’s Square and Piccadilly Gardens.”
An X post from GMP’s traffic officers said: “Our officers are currently in attendance at a collision, involving a tram and another vehicle in Manchester city centre.
“We are presently trying to establish the circumstances however we envisage there will be a lengthy closure of surrounding streets near to St Peters Square.”