Weather: Storm 'Everywhere By Lunchtime'

Dozens of flood alerts are in place as heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph sweep across the country, bringing chaos for Christmas travellers.

The stormy weather started in the South West and is moving eastwards and northwards throughout the day.

Hundreds of homes were left without power in Cornwall.

East Coast has already announced cancellations to and from London

A spokeswoman for Western Power Distribution said high winds brought down overhead power lines.

Almost all of the UK will be affected by the wet weather by midday and winds will reach 70-80mph in eastern and central areas in the afternoon.

The Met Office's severe weather alert started at dawn on Monday and 71 amber "be prepared" warnings are in place for London, southeast and southwest England, and South Wales.

Five areas, including three in the South West, have been issued with "immediate action required" flood warnings.

Localised flooding is possible and winds of 50-60mph are forecast in inland areas, gusting up to 80mph along the coast.

Essex Police said the Dartford QEII bridge will be closed from 12.30pm on Monday to 4am on Tuesday.

The Met Office's more serious "be prepared" warnings are in the south

Sky News' weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said rain would be the biggest problem for most people on Monday.

"There will be heavy downpours bringing 20-40mm of rainfall quite widely and over 60mm likely across parts of the high ground.

"As the rain is falling on already saturated ground that could cause both surface water and river flooding in these areas."

:: See the latest weather forecast here.

Emma Compton from the Met Office said: "By lunchtime it will be everywhere. It's going to be fairly persistent."

Trains are expected to bear the brunt of the weather and at least 21 train companies are predicting changes to timetables and cancelled services.

Virgin Trains is one of many operators warning of delays and disruption

An emergency go-slow limit of 50mph is likely on many routes.

Train bosses say "hundreds of engineers" will be on call over the next two days to deal with any blocked tracks or technical problems.

Passengers are being urged to check the latest information before setting out.

Network Rail Managing Director Robin Gisby said: "I want to be very clear that our priority is running as many trains as we can safely, rather than worrying about hitting the timetable bang on."

Many companies have removed limits on day tickets to deter people from travelling at the height of the bad weather.

Virgin Trains is advising passengers to travel before 3pm and says advance tickets for specific trains will be accepted on any service.

The A82 in Scotland, where there is an ice alert. Pic: @pressscotland

It says fewer trains than normal will run between London and Manchester, and London and Birmingham - where the 50mph limit is likely to be enforced.

South West Trains is another operator warning of "significantly reduced speeds" on its network.

Motorists are also being urged to be take special care on the roads and check the flood updates ahead of their journey.

The Environment Agency and the AA strongly advise not entering flood water that is moving or more than 10cm deep.

David Jordan, Director of Operations at the Environment Agency, said: "Tragically people die because they've taken risks and attempted to drive through flood water just to save a few minutes.

"Flood water is dangerous. If there is widespread flooding in your area then don't travel and if a road is closed then turn around and make a detour."

The Highways Agency said high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists should be especially careful in the high winds and and has put out a list of potentially treacherous routes.

John McTaggart, head of on-road services at the Agency, said: "We are working closely with the Met Office to monitor conditions.

"In the event of persistent high winds we may need to close certain bridges to traffic for a period, so please be alert for warnings of closures and follow the clearly signed diversion routes."

The RAC is predicting that 13 million people will take to the roads from December 24 to 26.

Visitor attractions are also playing it safe ahead of the bad weather, with the popular Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park staying shut on Monday

The worst of the weather is expected to clear by the end of Christmas Eve.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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