Storm Ashley latest: Met Office issue new weather warning as heavy rain set to batter UK

Half term has started for many schools but the weather is not looking good as Storm Ashley is set to bring heavy rain and strong winds to much of the UK

The Met Office has today warned that Storm Ashley is set to batter the UK with "weather bombs" and crashing winds of up to 80mph and rainfall of up to 65mm. Severe gales have been forecast, with an amber weather warning in place for Scotland between 9am Sunday and 12am Monday morning.

Anyone planning half-term travel needs to be aware of the latest weather warning. Within the last few hours the Met Office has issued a new weather warning for heavy rain in south Wales, Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset between 3am and midday on Sunday.

Issuing the yellow weather warning the Met Office said: "Heavy rain, accompanied by strong winds, will push east across the warning area through Sunday morning. Most areas will see 15-25 mm of rain, whilst upslopes exposed to the strong southerly winds could see 35-45 mm, possibly as much as 65 mm for parts of Dartmoor. Given recent wet weather, expected totals are likely to cause some disruption, before rain clears late morning."

Storm Ashley was expected to gather strength in the early hours of Sunday as it interacts with a strong jet stream. It is then expected to undergo the alarming sounding "explosive cyclogenesis", more commonly known as a "weather bomb", which is where pressure drops at least 24 millibars over the course of 24 hours.

A further Met Office weather warning said: "Parts of western Scotland are likely to see gusts of 70-80mph at times on Sunday afternoon, before winds ease through the evening and overnight. The winds coincide with high spring tides and large waves which may lead to a greater risk of disruption along coasts."

Weather warnings in place today and timings

An amber wind warning is in place for much of the west of Scotland from 9am Sunday morning to midnight tonight.

A yellow wind warning is in place for all of Scotland, north Northumberland, Cumbria, Northern Ireland and western and north Wales, from 3am on Sunday morning to midnight.

A yellow rain warning is in place for south Wales, Cornwall, Devon, and parts of Dorset and Somerset.

A yellow wind warning is in place for northern Scotland on Monday all day.