News

Storm Barney will batter Britain and Ireland tonight

People battle against driving rain and high winds as Britain's first ever named storm, Storm Abigail, hits the North West on November 9, 2015 in Blackpool, England. The new naming system was introduced in Septmember by the Met Office. To qualify for a name, the stormy weather must have the potential to cause medium or high wind impacts.

STORM Barney has arrived with a bang in Britain and Ireland – just days after Storm Abigail battered the two countries.

Wind speeds of up to 75mph will blow across parts of southern England, Ireland and Wales tonight – with flight disruption expected at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

Several Britain-bound flights from Cork Airport were cancelled this morning amid blustery weather.

Heavy rain is also expected to fall in these parts with an inch falling in most places but the worst hit areas could experience up to two inches.

And Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has warned people not to take selfies during the bad weather as the blustery winds hit southern parts tonight.

The organisation has warned that people put themselves at risk to take "storm selfies" in bad weather.

David Walker, leisure safety manager at RoSPA, said: "We understand the temptation to view powerful tides and weather conditions, however, if you get caught up or swept out to sea in these events your life will be at risk very quickly and our rescue services will also be at great risk."

The strong wind and rain has meant that a yellow weather warning is in place across many southern parts of Britain and Ireland as Storm Barney continues into the night.

Parts of Ireland have even had a status orange warning – more severe than the yellow.

But northern areas will not escape unscathed either – with the North of Ireland and parts of north-west England expected to see high wind speeds of about 60mph.

Tomorrow will see southern Scotland hit with gusts of up to 50mph.

Coastal areas will bear the brunt of the storm – in particular the south west of Ireland, which could see winds of 80mph.

And though Storm Barney is not expected to last more than a couple of days, the bad weather will continue into the weekend.

Barney is the second storm to arrive on British and Irish shores having been named in a system similar to that used in the US.

People have taken to social media to share their pictures and videos of Storm Barney in action - with this video of a choppy sea in southern England doing the rounds.