Storm Eunice Birmingham: when will strong winds and rain hit, how long will it last - weather forecast

The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for parts of the south east and south west of England as well as Wales, as Storm Eunice is set to bring heavy winds, rain and snow to the country.

In Birmingham and the West Midlands region, an amber weather warning has been issued - but what does this mean, and when will the storm hit exactly?

When exactly will Storm Eunice hit Birmingham?

An amber weather warning is currently in place for Birmingham between 3am and 9pm today.

Heavy rain and increasing wind gusts hit the region at around around 3am, signalling the arrival of the storm.

The early hours of Friday morning will see heavy rain sweep across the region, and the winds brought by Storm Eunice will start being felt soon after.

At roughly 5am, wind gusts started to hit over 30mph, these will continue to increase throughout the morning and afternoon.

The gusts are set to peak at 58mph at around 1pm but will only gradually ease throughout the rest of the day.

There will also be outbreaks of rain and some hill snow, followed by wintry showers in the evening, with a maximum temperature of 10 °C.

What has the Met Office told us to expect?

Schools have been closed across the region and flights at Birmingham Airport have been cancelled as the storm takes hold

The Met Office has issued advice on what to expect when an amber weather warning is issued:

• Storm Eunice may cause significant disruption due to extremely strong winds on Friday
• There is a good chance that flying debris could result in a danger to life
• Damage to buildings and homes is likely, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down
• Roads, bridges and railway lines are likely to close, with delays and cancellations to bus, train, ferry services and flights
• There is a good chance that power cuts, possibly prolonged, could occur and possibly affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage
• Large waves are likely and beach material is likely to be thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties
• It is likely there will be falling branches and some uprooted trees

What is the weekend weather forecast for Birmingham?

The strong wind gusts are expected to east by Friday evening, meaning that the weather on Saturday will be much more calm.

It could feel as cold as -1°C on Saturday afternoon, and heavy rain showers will make for a wet evening.

Gusts throughout Saturday should reach no higher than 30 to 32mph.

Sunday looks set to be wetter and slightly windier than Saturday. Monday will be a quieter day as winds ease and rain moves away.

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