STORM Gareth has hit the UK with 99mph winds, 50ft waves and flooding - with the Met Office warning of more rain and gales tomorrow.
As a number of weather systems barrel in from the Atlantic over the next few days, forecasters predict more wind, rain and unsettled conditions for Brits.
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A yellow warning for wind was in place until 3pm today, with another warning of heavy rain running from midnight until 3pm tomorrow in northern England.
Snow could even hit for Scots tomorrow, after the Highlands saw gusts nearing 100mph during the storm, with flood threats in place.
Eleanor Bell, meteorologist with The Weather Company, told The Sun Online: "It'll be very unsettled through the week and into the weekend, with deep or active areas of low pressure bringing repeated wet and windy conditions.
"Repeated persistent and often heavy rain will bring a threat of flooding, particularly to the West, and snow for the Scottish Highlands."
Storm Gareth will gradually clear as the day goes on, but more wind and rain is set to arrive fairly quickly.
A Met Office forecaster said: "Already showing it's hand in Ireland is the next Atlantic weather system.
"By the end of tomorrow we'll see heavy spells of rain.
"There is a warning in place as this part of the country is often susceptible to what could be a couple of inches of rain.
"The wind is not really dying down much, in terms of what we can expect overnight - going to be looking at gales quite widely across the country."
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He also warned of conditions becoming unsettled on Saturday, with the weather system due to hit then not yet called a storm but with the potential to developed into a storm.
Six crew had to be airlifted from a stricken fishing boat in 20ft waves last night and this morning rail services were cancelled and roads closed to high-sided vehicles.
There were also reports of trees blocking roads and some exposed routes in the north-east of England being closed to high-sided vehicles.
31,000 roadside call-outs were projected today across all UK breakdown providers, the RAC said.
RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: “It's 'Black Wednesday' for travel with rush-hour dangers to motorists from fallen trees, debris and floods, plus traffic jams from increased accidents and road and bridge closures.”
Sandbags are on standby as cities, including flood-prone York, brace for floods.
The Environment Agency said: “Flooding impacts are probable in York on Wednesday and in the Pennines on Thursday, with possible flooding impacts in other parts of the North, Midlands and West.”
TRAVEL CHAOS
The Met office warned Storm Gareth's gales will register Force 11 on the Beaufort Scale in many regions. There is only one level higher - and that is a hurricane.
As trees were brought crashing down across power lines, nearly 370 homes, shops and offices near Bakewell in Derbyshire's Peak District were blacked out this morning.
The A5 in Leicestershire was closed in both directions between the M69 and the A47 near Hinckley after a pile-up in which an HGV overturned and shed its load.
The A15 over the Humber Bridge was closed to high sided and 'vulnerable' vehicles such as caravans and motorcyclists due to strong winds in the area.
LARGEST STORM FOR TWO YEARS
Gareth is the largest named storm to affect Britain since Storm Doris on February 23, 2017, Met Office maps of past short storms showed.
Mr Gaze said: “Gareth is a mega-storm, spanning much of western Europe.”
The Met Office warned of gusts up to 90mph early this morning in Scotland, and 60mph in England, with up to two inches of rain.
50ft waves – the height of a five-story building – were due overnight off the west coast of Scotland, after 40ft waves hit the K5 Atlantic buoy yesterday, data from surfing website magicseaweed.com showed.
“Phenomenal” sea conditions were reported as red shipping warnings were issued from Greenland to Spain.
Gareth underwent ‘explosive cyclogenesis’ - becoming what is known as a ‘weather bomb’ - as its air pressure plunged by over 24 milibars in 24 hours.
GARETH'S DEADLY FORCE
Three climbers died yesterday after being caught in an avalanche on Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, following heavy snowfall hit Scotland.
At the Cheltenham Festival, punters were advised that organisers would be holding a precautionary inspection in the morning, although officials later gave the go-ahead after winds eased.
It is expected that a fortnight's worth of rain will fall in less than a day in some parts of the north west.
Met Office forecaster Bonnie Diamond said an "explosive" cyclone "is seeing the Atlantic storm deepen rapidly."
She added: “We expect structural damage to buildings, trees blown down, large waves on coasts and possible power cuts. People should be aware of warnings.
“Gusts of 70-80mph and possibly 90mph over higher ground are forecast — highest in western Scotland."
John Hammond, chief meteorologist for Weathertrending told The Sun Online: “Cold air is sweeping in from the northwest and will be with us through Wednesday."
FLASH FLOODING
Over in Wales the River Conwy burst its banks at Llanrwst causing nearby roads to flood.
Yesterday, the eastbound carriageway of the M48 Severn Crossing was closed for a while due to the weather.
There was also congestion on the M5 northbound in Gloucestershire at J11A when two lanes were closed due to flooding.
A slip road on the M6 in Cumbria was also closed due to flash flooding caused by the heavy rain.
Train services were disrupted in the south-west with CrossCountry Trains forced to reduce its service due to the high winds.
Southwestern and Virgin Trains had to operate at reduced speeds on their lines.
In the West Country the storm caused power cuts and fallen trees blocking roads.
The main train line through Dawlish, Devon, was closed.
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After the rain clears, the storm is expected to bring strong winds, with a chance of damage to buildings, power cuts and travel problems.
The storm, caused by a deep area of low pressure, was named by Met Eireann, the Irish weather service.
It is the third named storm this year after Storm Erik in February and Freya earlier this month.
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