After a mild Christmas, here comes Storm Gerrit, with wind and rain warnings for Northern Ireland

The storm will bring strong winds and heavy rain to many parts of the UK on Wednesday, with wintry hazards also likely, forecasters warned.

Yellow wind and rain warnings are in place across much of the UK.

Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said the storm was named as a warning to people coming home from the Christmas holidays.

He said: “Due to the extent of the warnings that are being issued, it was deemed that a named storm would be a good idea because it will highlight to the public the risk associated, particularly as tomorrow is likely to be quite a busy day on the roads with people travelling back home from Christmas and things like that.”

He said wet and windy weather will cover “pretty much the whole of the UK”, with significant snowfall in parts of Scotland.

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A yellow rain and snow warning is in place from 6am to 9pm across much of Scotland on Wednesday.

“There are wind warnings out for the south of England, across the English Channel coast,” Mr Partridge added.

“But we also have wind warnings in force for parts of western Wales, north-west England, Northern Ireland, northern Scotland and the Northern Isles.”

He said only the central section of the UK does not have a wind warning.

Wind warning areas can expect gusts of 50-60mph, with up to 70mph on high ground and exposed coasts.

“In terms of rain, we have rain warnings out for the whole of Northern Ireland, western Wales, north-west England, and then there’s a combined sort of rain and snow warning for Scotland,” Mr Partridge said.

Rain in the warning areas is forecast to be between 40-60mm, with the potential for 70-90mm in the western hills of Wales and the western side of the Pennines.

Anywhere above 200 metres in Scotland and the Northern Isles is likely to see some snow, he added.