Yellow weather warning issued for winds of up to 80mph over weekend

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for the weekend, when winds of up to 80mph are expected to hit the UK.

It covers a large part of west and southwest England and Wales, as well as all of England's southern coast and lasts from 8pm on Sunday to 6pm on Monday. The alert also stretches from southern England along the west coast of the UK and up to around Manchester, with gusts of up to 60mph expected around coasts and hills, with 70-80mph possible in the most exposed conditions.

The windiest conditions are expected on Monday morning and will move east throughout the day, the Met Office said. Delays to transport are likely, with a small chance of injuries and danger to life from falling debris, it added.

The forecaster advised those in the alert area to prepare by protecting their property, including securing loose items outside properties including bins, sheds and garden furniture. Before the weekend, forecasters expect windy conditions combined with spells of rain in the far northwest of Scotland on Thursday.

There will be a mixture of sunshine and blustery showers elsewhere, some of which may be heavy with a risk of hail and thunder - especially in western parts of the country. On Friday, breezy conditions are expected, with overnight showers in western coastal areas before potentially heavy downpours and isolated thunderstorms on Saturday.

The Met Office said stronger winds and coastal gales are also possible. Read more from Sky News:Police investigation after fire and graffiti at MP's officeTrump has 'heated call' with Netanyahu over Qatar strike The Met Office said the east is likely to see sunshine and drier conditions, though temperatures will remain on the cooler side with highs of around 17-18C expected in London on both Saturday and Sunday.

Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "We have been monitoring a deepening area of low pressure over the North Atlantic that might bring impactful weather to the UK, most likely on Sunday and Monday. "At present, a named storm is unlikely.".