THE MET OFFICE has issued an amber warning for wind and a yellow warning for rain today and tomorrow as Storm Imogen sweeps into the country.

The warning is in place from 3pm this afternoon (Sunday, February 7) until 6pm tomorrow (Monday, February 8).

It is expected that gusts of 60mph to 70mph winds will batter the south west of England, with up to 80mph expected in exposed coastal areas.

The strong winds will also be accompanied with heavy rain, and there is also a possibility of thunderstorms and hail storms, making driving conditions for early morning commuters treacherous.

The Met Office has warned commuters there may be lengthy delays tomorrow on the roads and the railways, with heavy traffic on the M5 expected and localised flooding on A roads and country roads.

The Chief Forecaster of the Met Office said: “An area of low pressure is expected to move eastwards across the UK on Monday with a swathe of very strong winds around its southern flank, which will affect parts of southern Britain.

“The winds are likely to be very gusty at times, particularly in association with heavy showers running across these areas.

“There remains some uncertainty in northward and eastward extent of the damaging winds as well as the peak strengths and so this warning will be kept under review.”

The Met Office has also warned that trees could be bought down in the storm and structures could be damaged, as well as disruption to power supplies.

Localised flooding is expected in certain areas, especially those already affected by heavy rainfall in recent weeks, with around 40mm of rain expected to fall in a matter of hours on high ground.

The Chief Forecaster added: “A deep area of low pressure will sweep a band of frontal rain quickly eastwards later on Sunday.

“Following this, a very unstable westerly flow will bring frequent heavy showers on Sunday night and through much of Monday.

“Over a 24 hour period, rainfall accumulations of 15 to 25 mm are likely quite widely, with over 40 mm across the high ground of Wales and the moors of southwest England.

“Given saturated conditions due to recent rainfall, there is potential for some surface water flooding, which will combine with very strong winds to lead to difficult driving conditions.”

There have already been reports of trees coming down in the local area, with one reported near the Dillington Estate in Chard.

This weather warning is an updated version of the one that was issued yesterday.