UK weather warning as Brits face 70mph winds amid 'chance of tornadoes'

There is a "low end chance of one or two tornados developing" in parts of the UK later this evening, with 70mph gales set to wreak havoc.

The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation has said that unstable airmasses and lightning are likely to hit the country today. It has warned that central and eastern Wales, the Midlands, south west England, central England, a small portion of northern England and the Channel Islands will be affected.

TORRO defines a severe thunderstorm as producing one or more of the following: one or more tornadoes and / or waterspouts, hail with diameter of at least 20mm, non-tornadic winds gusting to 55 mph or more at surface. It has said about today's weather: "An area of low pressure will move NNE to the west of the area today. To the east of this, a slightly unstable airmass will be present. Several bands of showery rain are expected to move NNE across the discussion area, and lightning is already present within this to the south of SW England.

It added that there is a "risk of gusts of 50-60mph, perhaps locally 70mph in the most extreme cases'" and that "hail is possible in the stronger cores too, as well as a few lightning strikes".

The Mirror earlier reported that a Storm Nelson will start its journey northeast today and lead to gusty conditions for many. Showers will follow, heavy and thundery in places, and some spots on higher ground in Wales and Scotland may see snow. Temperatures are unlikely to reach double figures today and tomorrow in each region, Netweather forecasters say. It'll feel colder too due to the wind speeds of up to 70mph in the Southwest of England today.

Downpours will return on Good Friday, the heaviest of which will be across Wales and the Midlands by the afternoon. It's likely to be thundery across south Wales too, weather maps produced by forecasters at Ventusky show. These storms will gather force throughout the evening and pummel the Northwest of England, especially around Greater Manchester.

And Saturday and Easter Sunday, in particular, look gloomy too as a fresh band of low pressure barrels in from the west. It is likely it'll lead to rain in the Southwest of England and a thick blanket of fog elsewhere, particularly across East Anglia.