AN AMBER weather warning has been issued for the south west as Storm Isha approaches over the weekend.
The Met Office is warning of strong winds and heavy rain throughout the south west and across the country from Sunday.
Disruption to travel is expected as winds could reach speeds of up to 60 mph.
The storm follows weeks of cold weather with overnight temperatures dropping below freezing.
An amber cold health alert, issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been extended to midday tomorrow.
The UKHSA is advising checking the wellbeing of those most vulnerable to the cold.
Temperatures are then expected to rise tomorrow before Storm Isha arrives on Sunday.
Cold Arctic air which has been apparent over the last week or so will subside only to be replace by an Atlantic front, bringing milder conditions but with it wet and windy weather.
Sunday is forecast to be windy across the country and near coasts, gusts may reach 60 to 70 mph.
Chief Meteorologist, Dan Suri, said: ‘Storm Isha will bring strong winds to the whole of the UK through Sunday and into Monday.
‘The areas of particular concern are reflected by a large Amber severe weather warning which covers Northern Ireland, central and southern Scotland, Wales, much of northern England as well as southwestern parts of England.
‘In these regions we could see gusts frequently between 50 to 60mph and even up to 80mph in exposed coastal locations.
‘Storm Isha will bring a disruptive spell of weather to the UK with strong winds across the whole country.
‘Heavy rain will cause additional hazards, particularly in the west.’
The National Grid is urging customers to be ready in case of power cuts.
The storm could bring the possibility of power outages and other disruption.
A power cut checklist has been issued by National Grid so its 1.6 million customers in the region can prepare for the storm.
The company recommends: keeping the free electricity emergency number handy – call 105 to report a power cut, 24 hours a day.
Preparing your home – have a torch, mobile phone and an analogue land line phone ready (cordless or digital phones may not work in a power cut). Also have an external battery charging pack available so you can charge smart phones or tablets. A wind-up, solar or battery-powered radio will enable you to listen to local updates. Protect sensitive and valuable electrical equipment with a surge protector.
Keeping an eye out – monitor weather forecasts and if there’s a power cut check if neighbours need help.
Get extra support - vulnerable households can get extra support by signing up to National Grid’s Priority Services Register. It’s a free service for anyone who is elderly, disabled, has children under five years old or relies on powered medical equipment. As part of the service, customers are kept informed as much as possible of power cuts affecting their home and are given special help, if needed, through the British Red Cross.
Jocelyn McConnachie, director of customer excellence, said: 'Our engineers are ready to repair any damage that Storm Isha causes, while our control centre will be working 24/7 to manage supplies and our contact centre staff will be available round the clock to answer customers’ calls.
'Overall the network is very reliable and we have been preparing for winter by carrying out repairs and maintenance ahead of time, including vegetation trimming to protect overhead lines from fallen trees and using helicopters with sophisticated camera technology to assess pylons, poles and cables.
‘Anyone who experiences a power cut, should call us on 105 and we’ll do all we can to get the lights back on as soon as possible.
‘We also encourage customers with extra needs to sign-up to our free Priority Services Register so they can receive additional support during a power cut.’