Storm Aileen set to batter Britain with 75mph winds

The first named storm of the year, Storm Aileen, is set to bring winds of up 75 miles per hour to parts of the UK this week, the Met Office said.

Storm Aileen is the first storm to be named since this season's names were released last week, as part of the scheme by the Met Office and Met Eireann to raise awareness of extreme weather in the UK and Ireland.

Low pressure will bring "very strong winds" across much of England and Wales on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, with an amber severe weather warning for gusts of 55-65mph in parts of Cheshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

Gusts up to around 75mph could also be possible in exposed locations such as the coast and hills in these areas, the Met Office said.

A yellow weather warning for rain is also in place for parts of Northern Ireland, northern England and southern Scotland, which warns of 30-40 mm (1.2 to 1.6 inches) of rain falling within six to nine hours which could cause some disruption.