Birmingham and the Midlands braced for high winds

Mar 7 2008

BIRMINGHAM is bracing itself for severe gales set to batter the city on Sunday night and Monday morning.

The Met Office is due to issue severe weather warnings later today advising people to avoid unnecessary journeys.

A band of exceptionally low pressure is to blame for bringing in the heavy rain and severe gales with gusts reaching up to 80mph.

The unsettled weather is expected to reach a peak on Monday morning and although Birmingham will not be the worst affected area of the country, there may be trees uprooted and structural damage.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "Birmingham will be badly affected, with winds reaching a minimum of 60mph.

"There will be minor damage to buildings and some trees down. Other parts of the country like Wales and the south west will be the worst hit. We expect to issue a severe weather warning later today when we have more information.

"The exact track of the storm is unlikely to be known until Sunday and the public should keep a close eye on the forecasts as severe damage is a possibility in many areas."