Storm Doris: 12 amber alerts issued as UK blasted by gales

The UK is battening down the hatches for Storm Doris, which is set to bring a day of powerful gales and torrential rain to large parts of the country.

Doris, the fourth named storm of 2016/2017, descended overnight, whipping up winds of almost 90mph on the west coast of Ireland as it drifted towards the UK.

Gales of more than 70mph were recorded when the storm reached Wales, with no signs of letting up.

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"We have got a fairly active area of low pressure coming in from the Atlantic," Met Office forecaster Emma Sharples told the Daily Telegraph. "It is strengthening as it moves eastwards to the UK."

Meteorologists warned yesterday that Doris could be powerful enough to "damage buildings and send debris flying when it hits the mainland".

In Ireland, 46,000 people were left without power in the wake of the storm, the Irish Mirror reports, and similar disruptions are expected in the UK.

As of this morning, the Met Office has issued a dozen amber warnings, affecting parts of northern England, East Anglia, north Wales and the Midlands, with a snow warning for many parts of Scotland, with snowfall of up to six inches in the Highlands.

Drivers are advised to avoid some stretches of road in northern England and the Midlands, where strong winds and heavy rain could present particularly challenging driving conditions.

Rail passengers should also be prepared for delays and cancellations as a safety speed limit of 50mph is imposed on some services.

Travellers flying from Heathrow today are also advised to check the status of their flight. More than a dozen domestic journeys have been cancelled and Irish national airline Aer Lingus has suspended service from the UK in anticipation of strong winds.