Britain braced as Storm Angus kicks off season of tempests

Storm Angus, the first named storm of the season, has hit the UK with gusts of up to 80mph expected to batter the coast.

The vigorous area of low pressure brought heavy rain to southern areas Saturday night and winds exceeding 50mph.

The storm will push north overnight with the worst of the weather set to hit southeast England on Sunday morning.

The Met Office issued an amber "be prepared" warning from the Isle of Wight to Kent and advised to prepare for travel disruption, possible power cuts, damage to buildings, flooding and debris from trees.

A yellow "be aware" warning was issued for all parts of the country south of the M4 with gusts of up to 65mph expected in other coastal areas.

Up to 1.6in (40mm) of rain is predicted in some areas, and Met Office forecaster Simon Partridge warned of localised flooding if drains become blocked with leaves blown off trees by the high winds.

But gusts of between 70 and 80mph in the worst hit areas are of greatest concern as the first storm threatens to bring down weak tree branches.

"It is the first storm of the season, coming quite late at this time in November," said Mr Partridge.

"This will be a bit of a shock to the system for most people in terms of wind and rainfall.

"Any weak branches are likely to come down in the first storm."

But forecasters predicted the storm will move off quite quickly into the North Sea towards Europe, with conditions set to improve from around midday Sunday.

However, further wind and rain, which is expected to move north across England and Wales on Monday, could bring more flooding.

Northern areas can expect more chilly weather with fairly light winds and clear skies.

Drivers crossing the Pennines were confronted with a covering of snow at high levels but all main routes remained open.

Winter wonderland scenes greeted walkers above 1,000ft (305m) in areas of the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, with some light snow showers hitting lower ground in West Yorkshire.

Further north, Durham Police tweeted: "A66, Bowes to Cumbria, snow on both carriageways, slow moving but passable with care. Gritters hard at work."

Braemar in Aberdeenshire dropped to -8C (17.6F) on Friday night, with sheltered areas in Scotland set to plummet as low as -10C (14F) overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning.

Anyone experiencing problems with their power network during the storm can contact 105 for further information and advice, or visit powercut105.com.