Met Office warns drivers to 'park cars in garage' on Thursday

Storm Lilian is enroute to the UK and expected to cause weather across Britain on Friday. Horror winds of up to 80mph are forecast for the north of England and the Met Office is so concerned it’s issued a major weather warning.

An urgent yellow weather warning has been issued for northern England and parts of southern Scotland, effective from 5am until 11am on Friday.

Now the national weather forecaster has urged people to follow its advice to keep safe and avoid the stress of damage being inflicted on your belongings as a result of the severe conditions.

On its website it said: “Gales are the most common cause of damage and disruption in the UK.

“Between 1962 and 1995, 184 deaths alone were caused by building failures resulting from wind. The majority of damage reports come from domestic dwellings. The average cost of damage each year is at least £300 million*.”

It added: “Be prepared, stay safe and protect property.” The Met Office advised securing loose objects such as ladders, garden furniture or anything else that could be blown into windows and other glazing and break them.

Another piece of advice is to close and securely fasten doors and windows. The organisation also says to “park vehicles in a garage, if available” and if that’s not possible to “keep them clear of buildings, trees, walls and fences.”

As the storm is expected to ramp up from early tomorrow morning, drivers are urged to ensure their cars are clear from obstruction tonight.

You can see the whole rundown of its advice here.

A leading rural insurer is also warning people to take sensible measures to protect your person and property - and warns not to underestimate the damage that can be caused by gale-force winds.

Andrew Chalk, rural insurance specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “After a blustery few days, it’s tempting to dismiss the risks of the gusts set to hit during Storm Lillian, but we’re urging everyone in the affected areas to guard against complacency.

“Although Storm Lillian isn’t expected to be near the same severity, Storms Arwen, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin in recent years have shown how devastating high winds can be, each resulting in thousands of claims and tens of millions of pounds’ worth of damage.

“We’ve put our network of Agents and repairers on alert and urge everyone to treat Storm Lillian with the same caution – particularly farmers and those in isolated, rural properties, which we know from experience are hardest-hit by extreme weather.

“If it’s safe to do so, consider removing loose furniture from gardens where possible and keep doors and windows securely shut.

"Also move cars away from branches, tiles or walls if you can and make quick repairs to loose guttering or other fixings."

The Met Office said: "An area of strong winds associated with Storm Lilian is expected to move east across northern England during Friday morning.

"Whilst there remains some uncertainty about the details, some very strong winds are likely to develop, with gusts widely in the 50 to 60mph range, with a lower chance that a small core of winds gusting 65-75 mph, perhaps 80 mph, could push quickly east during the morning.

"These winds are likely to affect major routes such as the M6, A66 and A1(M), as well as potentially impacting infrastructure. As well as the strong winds, some locally heavy rainfall will add to the difficult travel conditions."

The national forecaster warned that there will be some travel disruption, with delays or cancellations to road, rail, air and ferry transport likely.

Bus and train services may also be delayed, lengthening journeys.