Met Office weather warning for Wednesday as 60mph winds set to hit much of UK

Two yellow weather warnings for wind have been issued for parts of the UK this week with "strong and gusty" conditions widely expected. Gales of more than 60mph on Tuesday and Wednesday could lead to difficult travel conditions and delays to public transport, the Met Office said.

A warning covering large parts of northern England, including Sheffield and Leeds, and a small area of southern Scotland is in place from 3am to 2pm on Wednesday. Some areas will see gusts of 50mph to 60mph, with potentially higher figures in more exposed places, as west to south-westerly winds pick up from late Tuesday night onwards.

Coastal areas of Wales and Northern Ireland, including Belfast, and all of southern Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, have also been issued a separate wind warning which is in place from 3pm on Tuesday until 8pm on Wednesday. Strengthening southerly winds will bring gusts of 40mph to 50mph inland and possibly 50mph to 60mph in more exposed places, the Met Office said.

Delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport are likely in these areas with some bus and train services affected and large waves in coastal spots. The latest warnings come as many communities recover from the devastating effects of Storm Darragh earlier this month.

The fourth named storm of the season saw millions warned to stay indoors, tens of thousands left without power and trains cancelled. Two men were killed during the storm by falling trees hitting their vehicles.