Storm Lorenzo: UK braces for 65mph winds as dozens of flood alerts issued

Ex-hurricane due to make landfall in Ireland at midnight

Winds of up to 65mph are set to batter the western coast of Ireland as Storm Lorenzo heads towards the UK, bringing heavy rain and the risk of flash flooding.

The storm is due to make landfall on the western coast of Ireland at around midnight, Met Éireann said.

Ireland’s weather service warned that winds hitting the coast could reach up to 65 mph with gusts of up to 81 mph.

The orange weather alert for the counties of Kerry, Limerick, Clare, Galway and Mayo was earlier extended from 9pm on Thursday night to 6am on Friday morning. It was originally supposed to end at 3am.

Earlier in the day a number of flights were cancelled or diverted from Cork and Dublin Airports owing to strong winds as the storm approached.

Dramatic waves were seen crashing over sea walls on the western coast as ferocious winds were spotted whipping up the sand on beaches.

Irish Coast Guard teams were called on to respond to six emergency incidents with the worst weather yet to come.

However, there were more serene scenes across England, which awoke to a number of stunning sunrises across the country.

The former hurricane had brought in high-level cloud from the west which combined with the low sun to produce the views.

Manchester woke up to a spectacular sunrise as Storm Lorenzo approached the UK (PA)

But heavy rain and strong winds are expected to spread across Wales and south western England on Friday as Storm Lorenzo move across the country.

A yellow warning for wind is in place from 4am to 4pm for southwest England, which may be hit by westerly winds travelling at 65mph.

Heavy rain has already caused chaos in the Isle of Man, where the Laxey River burst its banks on Tuesday, leaving villagers trapped in their homes by floodwater.

A major clean up operation is underway in the village of Laxey ahead of Lorenzo’s arrival.

Lorenzo, previously a Category 5 hurricane, was the largest recorded hurricane seen this far east in the Atlantic Ocean.