Wales weather: Strong winds may see Christmas travel disruption

Exposed coastlines could be worst hit

A yellow wind warning has been issued for north and parts of mid Wales, bringing the possibility of travel disruption ahead of Christmas.

The Met Office said road, rail, air and ferry services could be affected, with gusts of up to 80mph (129km/h) possible in some areas like exposed coastlines.

The warning, from 00:00 GMT to 21:00 on Thursday, covers most of north Wales as well as parts of northern Powys.

The forecaster also warned power cuts were possible.

The Met Office said: "Overnight Wednesday into Thursday, strong west to north-westerly winds are likely to develop across a large swathe of the country.

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"Gusts are expected to peak with gusts reaching 50 to 60mph (80 to 95km/h), with the chance of it getting up to 70 to 80mph (110 to 130 km/h) in some locations, such as exposed coastlines."

The Met Office also warned against flying debris, power cuts and disruption to mobile phone coverage.

People are advised to plan ahead if travelling and to prepare for the strong winds by securing any loose items outside their homes, such as bins, garden furniture and trampolines.

Those near the sea have been warned not to go swimming, refrain from walking along clifftops and to keep all pets securely on a lead.

The counties affected are Conwy, Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey, Wrexham and parts of Powys.

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