Storm Ali - LIVE: Two dead and 'major incident' declared as winds of up to 100mph batter UK and Ireland
Woman dies after caravan blown off cliff and man killed by fallen tree
Two people have been killed as Storm Ali batters the UK and Ireland with as torrential rain and winds of up to 100ph.
In County Galway, Ireland, a woman in her 50s died after the caravan she was in was blown off a cliff by the storm.
A water company engineer was killed by a falling tree while working in a park in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Forecasters had warned of a “danger to life” with the possibility of flying debris and damage to buildings. Gusts of wind have reached 100mph, said the Met Office said, which issued yellow and amber warnings covering Northern Ireland, Scotland, northwest Wales and the north of England.
Follow updates below. Please allow a moment for the blog to load
The worst of Ali’s weather was forecast to be in the north, although areas outside the official weather warnings did not escape wet and windy conditions.
The unsettled weather is due to last right through the week, but an improvement is expected early next week as drier weather is set to take hold.
The Independent will be providing live coverage of Storm Ali as it sweeps across the British Isles on Wednesday.
Photos of fallen trees and other damage have already been posted on social media, while in Co Galway, Ireland, a woman has died after being blown over a cliff inside a caravan.
The Met Office has released its latest visualisation of the storm.
Gale-force winds from Storm Ali with gusts of more than 86mph per hour have caused damage to the electricity network affecting more than 140,000 homes, farms and businesses, Ireland's electricity supplier has said.
The damage is mainly attributable to fallen trees on overhead lines as a result of the high winds.
This is what the Met Office has to say about the potential for travel chaos amid the storm: "Longer journey times and cancellations likely, as road, rail, air and ferry services affected with some roads and bridges closed."
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for wind covering south and central England from early Sunday overnight into Monday morning.
There is a chance of injuries and danger to life from flying debris on those days, it said, and potential for damage to buildings.
Fallen trees are said to be the main cause of power outages in Ireland today but they are causing problems for motorists as well.
A car damaged by a fallen tree in Dublin as Storm Ali begins to make itself felt (Dublin Fire Brigade)
Western Ferries, whose route crosses the Firth of Clyde in southwest Scotland, has suspended sailing due to the weather.
Gusts of wind have reached a confirmed 91mph in Northern Ireland, the Met Office has said.
This video shows Storm Ali producing a light show over Scotland.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our new commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies