STORM Ashley is bringing strong winds and heavy rain with amber and yellow weather warnings to much of the UK today.

Amber and yellow weather warnings for wind and rain are currently in place for large swathes of the country both for today and for Monday.

Although there are yellow warnings just north west of Bradford and amber warnings in Scotland, Bradford itself has been battered by heavy rain this morning and stronger winds are forecasted this afternoon.

The deep area of low pressure, named Storm Ashley, is tracking north-eastwards across the country.

Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Steve Willington, said: “We could see disruption today and tomorrow, particularly across parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England and West Wales, due to the very strong winds and heavy rain associated with Storm Ashley.

“In addition, the strong winds will coincide with high spring tides, which brings the risk of flooding, especially around the coasts of northern and western Scotland and the northern Irish Sea.”

“On Sunday, gusts of 60-70 mph are possible across the west of Northern Ireland and perhaps as high as 70-80 mph in exposed parts of western Scotland.

“Elsewhere within the warning areas, gusts of 50-60 mph will be more typical. It will remain very blustery into Monday morning across the northern half of the UK after which time winds will ease off.”

"It is important that people stay up to date with the latest forecast and our warnings.”  The Met Office forecast for Bradford today says that rain quickly arrived from the west and was heavy at times throughout the morning, accompanied by strong winds.

It goes on today that rain will be clearing through the afternoon, giving way to sunny spells and largely dry conditions, but noted that winds would continue to strengthen through the afternoon. The maximum temperature for today is 16 °C.

Disruption to transportation services is expected in some parts of the UK, including Scotland.

Head of Transport Resilience at Transport Scotland, Ashleigh Robson, said: “Storm Ashley is set to bring widespread disruption for travel on Sunday and into Monday.

“Passengers should certainly check with their operator, and with some families off enjoying the October school holidays, we would advise them to play close attention to any cross-border travel updates too.

“The Multi Agency Response Team will be in position to take decisions, oversee the network, and advise the public and update Ministers over the weekend as the storm sweeps into parts of Scotland.

“The strong winds may cause particular difficulties for HGVs and we would urge drivers to take note of the conditions, debris on the roads and trees falling onto some roads is a strong possibility.

“The forecasted rain will make visibility difficult when driving and could result in some localised flooding.

“Disruption on ferry services is very likely, rail services and flights may also be impacted. Please check with you transport operator for the latest information.

“The decision to cancel services is never taken lightly, but safety of passengers has to be the priority. Please plan ahead.”

Looking ahead, the Met Office says winds will ease somewhat as Storm Ashley pulls away to the northeast on Monday, leaving a mix of sunny spells and scattered showers, although some more persistent rain may just fringe into the far southeast.

After a quieter interlude on Tuesday and Wednesday with just a few showers, it is likely to turn unsettled again later in the week with some heavy rain and possibly strong winds in places.

Tonight’s forecast for Bradford calls for patchy cloud overnight and a few outbreaks of showery rain, most likely across the north of the area.

It will be windy for much of the night, though beginning to ease towards dawn.

On Monday, the forecast for Bradford calls for bright but breezy weather with scattered cloud and perhaps the odd light shower, most likely to the north and west of the area. Winds will ease overnight.

The outlook for Tuesday to Thursday calls for bright spells through this period, with a few showers possible on Tuesday and lighter winds than in recent days.