THE Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the whole of the south west as gusts of 50mph are expected from Monday afternoon until Tuesday evening which could disrupt travel and damage trees.

Its warning, revised on Monday morning, is valid from 4pm on Monday until 6pm on Tuesday.

A spokesman said: "An unseasonably windy spell is likely across many parts of the UK later on Monday, overnight and well into Tuesday, as active frontal systems sweep across the UK.

"An initial swathe of southerly gales will move east across many parts later on Monday, giving gusts to 50mph widely but 60-65mph across exposed Irish Sea and perhaps some English Channel coasts.

"Winds will become west or southwesterly on Tuesday, with further gales in places, before gradually easing later. Heavy rain will accompany the strong winds at times and large waves may affect some coasts in the west and south.

"Given the unseasonable nature of the winds, the public should be aware of the potential for disruption to transport and outdoor activities. Damage to some trees seems likely, given that they are in full leaf."

Although it is a "pretty unsettled start to the summer," the spokesman said, it will calm down "quite significantly" from midweek onwards.

The chief forecaster said: "Developments are complex so there is still considerable uncertainty in details of these developments, especially by Tuesday, when it may be less windy across parts of the south."

The RAC is advising motorists to "take extra care" and to even postpone journeys to avoid the strongest gales.

Spokesman Simon Williams said: "The wind is going to be the central feature of the weather over the next few days - and it's something every motorist is going to notice when they take to the road, especially drivers of high-sided vehicles.

"Our advice is to take extra care, on exposed routes in particular, allow more time to get to your destination, or even delay your journey if possible to avoid driving in the strongest winds.

"Any driver going past a high-sider on the motorway should be very conscious not only of that vehicle being buffeted off course, but also of what happens to them when they emerge the other side and the wind hits."

  • The yellow 'be aware' warning of strong winds in the south west applies to Wiltshire, including Swindon, Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Isles of Scilly, North Somerset, Somerset and South Gloucestershire