'Danger to life' - Yellow weather warning as newly named Storm Eowyn set to hit West Midlands later this week

A yellow weather warning is in place for the West Midlands for this Friday and Saturday as Met Office forecasters predict gale force winds of more than 80mph, bringing the risk of power cuts, travel disruption and damage to buildings.

Storm Eowyn could also pose danger to life by causing flying debris, the forecaster warns.

The UK can expect the arrival of unsettled conditions on Thursday, which will see strengthening winds and heavy rainfall in western parts of the country overnight.

The outlook from Thursday for the West Midlands shows wet and increasingly windy conditions with persistant rain which is expected to be heavy at times, spreading eastwards through the end of Thursday into Friday.

On Saturday, the region can expect frequent blustery showers with some brighter breaks throughout the day.

People are advised to secure loose items outside homes including bins, garden furniture, trampolines and sheds, and gathering torches and batteries in case of a power cut.

Those travelling during the storm are urged to be cautious, and road, rail, airports and ferries are likely to be affected.

The forecast follows on from the chilly and grey weather seen across the region - and much of the country - over the weekend.

West Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to be the worst-hit areas during Storm Eowyn.

Met Office spokeswoman Andrea Bishop said: “Storm Eowyn will bring a period of very unsettled, potentially disruptive, weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday.

“Pronounced ‘Ay-oh-win’, the system will begin to influence the UK’s weather on Friday, with strengthening winds initially in north-western parts of the UK with accompanying heavy rainfall.

“Updates to our current warnings will follow shortly and the forecast details are likely to be fine-tuned during the week, so stay tuned to your local forecast and keep up to date with Met Office warnings via our website and app.”

Storm Eowyn will bring a spell of strong south-easterly to south-westerly winds, with gusts reaching 50-60 mph inland and 70-80 mph along coasts. The wind strength is expected to ease gradually through Saturday from the south.

The conditions are being caused by a powerful jet stream pushing low pressure across the Atlantic and towards the UK, following a recent cold spell over North America, the Met Office said.

Another area of low pressure could bring further wet and very windy weather across the UK by Sunday.

There is the potential for further weather warnings over the weekend and throughout next week, the Met Office added.