Gusty Friday expected as severe weather warning issued for the West Midlands

The Met Office has issued a yellow severe weather warning for wind for Friday covering a large swathe of England, including the West Midlands Conurbation.

Gusts of around 40 to 50mph are expected inland, while wind speeds of up to 80mph in some exposed coastal areas could affect power supplies and cause damage to buildings and trees thanks to a "potentially vigorous" low-pressure system, the forecaster said.

The weather alert is valid from 11am on Friday until 3am on Saturday, although "there remains some uncertainty over the track and timings" according to the chief forecaster.

The notice warns of "spells of wet and windy weather" which will affect "many areas later this week and over the weekend, with surface water issues an additional hazard in south-western parts of both England and Wales"

Oli Claydon, a Met Office spokesman, said: "We've had quite settled conditions for the last few weeks so there will be a marked change with some really quite wet and windy weather."

He said it would be "within the bounds of normal winter conditions that we see at this time of year" and there was "no named storm" on the horizon.

RAC Traffic Watch spokesman Rod Dennis said: "Anyone travelling a serious distance in south-west England and driving on more exposed routes should expect strong, gusty winds on Friday.

"Reduce your speed, be extra vigilant of other road users and be particularly careful when overtaking high-sided vehicles, as you can be buffeted off course."

He also urged motorists not to drive through pools of water.

"You are risking expensive damage, and putting yourself and passengers at risk, if you drive into water that is of an unknown depth."