VERY strong winds are expected to affect Surrey and Hampshire during Wednesday night and into Thursday, the Met Office has warned.

A ‘yellow’ weather warning has been issued for between 9pm on Wednesday and 1pm on Thursday, with gusts of up to 80 mph possible as the strongest winds blow eastwards across the UK.

Injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible, along with some damage to buildings. Power cuts may also occur, with the potential to affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.

Road, rail and ferry services may be affected, with longer journey times and cancellations. There is also a possibility that some bridges may close.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: “During Wednesday night and into Thursday there is the potential for gusts of 60 to 70 mph quite widely and a small chance of winds reaching 80 mph in places.

“The location of the most damaging winds is currently uncertain, although parts of northern and eastern England along with southern Scotland currently look more at risk.

“Along with the strong winds a spell of heavy rain can also be expected, which could also be combined with a temporary thaw of lying snow in the north.”

The Met Office has also put in place ‘yellow’ weather warnings for ice and snow in the north of the UK from today (Monday) through to Thursday, although these do not relate to Surrey and Hampshire.