The Met Office has issued a fresh yellow warning for wind just three days before Christmas, with gale-force winds of up to 70mph set to batter Britons over the weekend.
The wind warning – which follows two on Saturday – extends from midnight to 9pm on Sunday, December 22.
The warning area stretches across all of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and covers all of England’s west – from Cornwall to Cumbria.
The Isle of Man, however, is set to escape the worst of the weather and isn’t covered by the warning.
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Forecasters have told those in the affected areas to get ready for “delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport” – which they say are “likely” as Christmas creeps closer.
The Met Office details how “strong and gusty northwesterly winds” are set to batter Britons on Sunday.
Across most of the warning area, “gusts of 50-60 mph are expected quite widely”, it says.
Exposed coastal and hilly areas, will experience gusts of up to 70mph, especially in the north and west.
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In and around exposed coastal and hilly areas, meteorologists say gusts of up to 70mph could hit
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Forecasters have also warned “squally showers, hail and thunder” could also be on their way.
As Britons travel up and down the land to see their families this Christmas, the Met Office has told travellers to prepare for problems.
The high winds have “the potential to cause delays to public transport and some disruption to the road network, which may have a greater than usual impact given the busier pre-Christmas weekend travel,” the Met Office says.
“Dangerous coastal conditions can be expected too, with large waves an additional hazard,” it adds.
The high winds have ‘the potential to cause delays to public transport and some disruption to the road network’, the Met Office says
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But as Christmas itself comes around, a period of more settled weather is expected, the Met Office’s Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris said.
He added: “With Christmas still seven days away, we cannot yet be confident about the regional scale details, however the broad trends in the forecast come with higher than usual confidence for this lead time.
“Current indications are that more settled conditions are likely to develop from Christmas Eve onwards, with the majority of the UK coming under the influence of high pressure. The exception however may be northwest Scotland where there is a reasonable chance of further wind and rain.
“Christmas Day itself is likely to be settled, often cloudy, and dry with light winds for the majority.
“Once again, the far north may be windier, with a small chance of further rain across northwest Scotland.
“Temperatures are expected to be widely mild, so if you are hoping for a blanket of snow across the country on Christmas Day, I’m sorry to say you will be disappointed.”
