A STORM is set to batter Bradford later this week.

Storm Babet will consist of “extremely” heavy rain and high winds from Wednesday to Saturday, the Met Office said.

The poor weather conditions are expected to cause flooding, power cuts and travel disruption.

Yellow severe weather warnings have been issued across the four days for a vast swathe of the UK, covering much of Scotland, eastern Northern Ireland, the northeast of England, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and East Anglia.

There is a possibility of 70mph gale-force winds affecting northern parts of the UK, forecasters warned.

Parts of England can expect more than 100mm of rainfall during the week with some isolated areas facing up to 150mm.

The heavy rain may also cause “fast-flowing and deep floodwater” that could pose a “danger to life,” there is also a chance of essential services like gas, water and mobile phone signals to be disrupted.

Stephen Dixon, a Met Office spokesman, said: “A disruptive period of weather is on the way.

“There’s some high totals (of rain) which have the potential to disrupt travel plans… possibility of power cuts as well as the obvious risk of flooding.

“As you look at Wednesday, the first pulse of rain is looking to particularly influence Northern Ireland, Wales and the southwest of England, and into Thursday.

“But it’s as you move from Thursday and into the week that shift very much focuses more towards central and eastern Scotland, but also some central and eastern areas of England as well.”

He added that further weather warnings are likely to be announced by the Met Office in the coming days.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has urged the public to exercise “extreme caution,” particularly along exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers.

Sam Hughes, the charity’s water safety partner, said: “The forecasted strong winds along with heavy rain are likely to cause dangerous conditions for those visiting the coast around the UK and Ireland.

“The RNLI advises staying a safe distance away from the water and cliff edges as the conditions could knock you off your feet or wash you into the sea. It is not worth risking your life.

“If you see someone else in danger in the water, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard if by the coast, or the fire service if inland. If you have something that floats that they can hold on to, throw it to them. Don’t go in the water yourself – you may end up in difficulty too.”