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Flood warnings have been issued across the country as Britain braces for the arrival of Storm Atiyah.
Severe gales of up to 70mph threaten to bring travel disruption and power cuts in western England and Wales from 3pm on Sunday.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning lasting until 9am on Monday – although it could be extended as the storm moves eastwards.
Seven flood warnings and 42 flood alerts have also been issued by the Environment Agency for parts of England and Scotland due to rising river levels.
It comes after more than a month of severe flooding across the UK as a result of torrential rain.
Show all 8 1 /8Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I stumbled on the firefighter in front of the burning home on the second day of the Camp Fire in a town called Magalia which is about five miles from Paradise, California. There were about five or six homes burning and firefighters were trying to save the houses near to those that were on fire. The heat from the fire was so intense that the firefighter could only stand near the burning building for 10-15 seconds before having to move away" - Justin Sullivan
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "This was only one of several large-scale forest fires in Brandenburg state in Germany last year, following droughts which left the forests in the region extremely dry. The year set a new record for fires that burned over 400 hectares. As a photojournalist covering the region for over 15 years, I now have to assume either drought or floods will very likely be a part of the news we will be covering every summer" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "This photograph was taken at a sunflower field at Goersdorf near Golssen in Germany. The farmers in the region are really despairing. In the years before many faced floods, in 2018 it was scorching heat. Many grow crops that are meant to feed their cows, so when the crops fail they need to buy feed. With the price of milk so low many are fearing for their economic survival if weather cycles like this continue" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "On the third day of the Camp Fire the flames had moved away from the town and were burning in the nearby hills. I captured this photo in Big Bend, as the story was shifting away from the fire itself and focusing on trying to locate missing persons and recover remains of those who had perished" - Justin Sullivan
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "You can see the Belchatow power plant and the rising steam and smoke from over 20km away. I went there the day before the start of the United Nations’ climate conference in Katowice, which took place in a region where coal has a long history and coal mining is woven into local tradition. Poland has made some strides with renewables, such as with wind turbines that now dot portions of the western Polish countryside. However, given how heavily Poland still relies on coal, it is unlikely that Belchatow will close anytime soon. According to a recent study by the European Commission Belchatow is Europe’s biggest single emitter of CO2" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I stayed the night at an alpine hut near the Waxeggkees glacier in Austria. An employee I talked to at night said, sometimes (this was August) she heard the sounds of ice breaking off the glacier and crashing across rocks. 100 years ago the glacier would have filled the photo. Now it takes over an hour to walk up to where the glacier begins" - Sean Gallup, photographer
Getty Images
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I came across Mr. Helmut Kujat, 78, by chance after I photographed a parched farm nearby. He’s actually pouring the water into a tube that helps to better let the water reach the roots of the tree. He waters the trees in front of his house almost daily throughout spring and summer due to droughts and heat waves" - Sean Gallup
Getty
Photographers stories of capturing extreme weather "I took this photo about a week after the Camp Fire tore through the town of Paradise, California in November last year. It was the first opportunity to use a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone to view the widespread devastation since the air space around the burn zone had been closed" - Justin Sullivan
Getty
Storm Atiyah, named by the Irish meteorological service Met Eireann, is the first named storm of the season.
It is expected to bring winds of up to 60mph inland and up to 70mph on the coast and could trigger delays on the roads and railways.
The Met Office has warned that there is a possibility of some short term loss of power and other services and some damage to temporary structures.
”Christmas markets with loose items, loose structures, it’s one of those to check is everything secure – your Christmas lights, inflatable Santas,” said Sophie Yeomans, a Met Office meteorologist.
Ms Yeomans also urged the public to “take care around the coast” due to large waves, adding: ”Make sure that you’re aware of those wind warnings.”
The storm is expected to move to the east coast of north England and Scotland in the early hours of Monday morning with gusts up to 55mph.
Another wet and windy spell is expected in the middle of next week.
Additional reporting by Press Association
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