Video: Winds gust at 80mph on North Coast

The Met Office issued a amber wind warning – only one below its most serious – with coastal parts of counties Londonderry and Antrim expected to suffer the worst.

High winds were expected right across Northern Ireland, north Wales, Scotland, and northern England over a 48-hour period.

Gusts of 60-70 mph are be expected within the warning area, with 70-80 mph in western and northwestern areas. The strongest winds will slowly ease on Thursday morning.

The process behind the storm, rapid cyclogenesis, known colloquially as a “weather bomb”, is a deep low pressure system moving slowly eastwards between Scotland and Iceland.The Met Office warned that waves will be unusually high, bringing the risk of localised flooding of roads and causeways, particularly along northern coasts of Northern Ireland and western and northern Scotland.

“Frequent wintry showers will also bring an additional hazard, mainly over higher ground” the forecaster warned. “The public should be aware of the potential for disruption to travel and perhaps also power supplies.”

Wintry showers are also expected to give 2-5cm of snow on ground above 200m.