Storm Doris winds reach 94mph as it hits UK

Traffic near Falkirk as snow falls on Thursday morning

Parts of the UK are facing travel disruption as Storm Doris arrives with winds reaching 94mph.

There are severe weather warnings for some of northern England, East Anglia, north Wales and the Midlands, and there is snow in higher areas in Scotland.
Flights have been cancelled at Heathrow Airport and commuters have been warned to expect road and rail delays.
A 94mph gust was recorded in Capel Curig, north-west Wales, as the storm hit the UK.
Snow is predicted to reach 10 to 15cm (4-6in) high in parts of Scotland, while in west Wales gusts of up to 72mph were recorded in the early hours.

Disruption so far

Heathrow has flagged 77 flights as cancelled on its website and says its schedule has been reduced by 10% because of the poor weather
Aer Lingus has cancelled almost all flights between the UK and the Republic of Ireland
Network Rail is imposing speed limits of 50 mph on several train lines affecting Arrival Trains Wales, Chiltern Railways, East Midlands Trains, Grand Central, Great Northern and Southeastern services
The AA is reporting traffic disruption on major roads including the A5 and A460 due to blockages caused by the weather

Waves crash over the marina wall in Brighton

Heathrow has advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling to the airport.

A spokeswoman said: "With Heathrow operating at more than 99% capacity, there are no gaps in the schedule that can be used for delayed flights and as a result some passengers travelling may experience disruption to their journeys."
Building damage and interruptions to power supplies are possible from the storm - with anyone affected by power cuts is encouraged to dial 105 for further information.
The severe gusts of winds are said to be caused by a "weather bomb" - a very intense area of low pressure which "explodes" when it travels underneath a powerful jet stream.

The Environment Agency said it had not issued any flood warnings for the UK.

More rain and wind is expected to continue through to the weekend and into next week but will not reach the same level as Storm Doris.
Doris is the latest storm to be named by the Met Office, and follows Angus in November and December's Barbara and Conor.
All the previous storms brought with them high winds with gusts reaching between 80mph to 106mph.

Source: BBC